Harry Potter and The Old Crowd
by angie potter
Summary: Siriusly what do you think this fic is about??? Harry Potter... and The Old Crowd... That's what the title says right?! **NOW COMPLETED!!!**
1. The Dream

Verse 1

Chapter 1- the dream 

"Hold on Harry! … Killed me, that one did, you fight him boy… Don't let go, now! Don't let him get you… Your father's coming, he wants to see you, hold on… When the connection is broken, you must get to the Portkey, it will return you to Hogwarts. Do you understand, Harry… Stand aside! I will kill him! He is mine!"

Harry awoke suddenly. He was sweating, and panting. He had just had another dream about Voldemort, when he had come back to power. Harry couldn't remember a night since the accident, where he hadn't had that same dream. The words of his dad ran through his head… "Do you understand, Harry?" Harry got out of bed, and tiptoed to his desk, so as not to wake the evil Dursleys. He got out some parchment and a quill, and started to write to Ron:

_Ron,_

Do you know when I can come over yet? It's terrible here! The Dursleys are down to only feeding me a quarter of a watermelon.And I'm starving! Anyway, write to me soon, and could you maybe give me a copy of the Daily Prophet because I need to catch up on the Wizarding world. How is everyone? Have you heard from Hermione or Snuffles yet? Anyway, I've got to go now, I think I hear my ugly uncle wake-up

Thanks

Harry.

Harry attached the letter to Hedwig, and sent her out the window. Harry felt a lot calmer now, so he went back to bed. But he couldn't get to sleep. The next day would be his birthday. He was wondering what he would get, obviously not from the Dursleys, from Ron, Hermione, and Sirius. He was wondering what he might find in the Daily Prophet; it was probably some lie that the new 'Rita Skeeter' had scooped up. He could imagine it now: 'You know you strikes at-' "Harry!" Aunt Petunia was shouting at him through the door "Wake-up! If you are not downstairs in five minutes then you wont get any watermelon!"

Was it really morning already? Harry thought it was the middle of the night! He was about to go to sleep again, but he would rather have a quarter of watermelon then nothing at all. So he slipped into some clothes and forced himself downstairs. He was wondering when the owls carrying his presents would arrive so he shoved the lump of food into his mouth; he shuddered because of the sourness, and then went upstairs.

He was sitting on his bed leaning out of the window; there wasn't an owl in sight. Then suddenly, something swished from around the corner and banged into Harry's face. Feathers were flying everywhere! And a large blue box, which Harry guessed was his cake, flew across the room and Harry dived to catch it! He dived a bit too far though, because it landed on his back. He turned and opened the box, the cake wasn't very squashed, because it was from Hermione, and she had put padding in the box, and wrapped the cake in foil, as she was too protective.

There was a note, which Harry read, before anything else, saying:

Harry,

Happy Birthday!

How are you?

Listen, I'm not buying my books until the day before school starts, because of, well you know, there will be a lot of wizards there that day. Anyway, could you meet me in the Leaky Cauldron?

I've already arranged to meet Ron.

I hope you have a nice day, 

Bye.

Hermione.

Harry unwrapped the cake and started to cut it with a knife she also added. It was a delicious sponge cake. He ate half of it and put it under his bed, he lay down, feeling sick from eating too much (which he thought would never happen while living with the Dursleys).

He lay awake, and then scribbled a reply reading:

Hermione,

See you in the Leaky Cauldron -12:30?

Thanks for the cake.

Harry.

Harry couldn't really be bothered to write anything else. He attached it to the owl's leg, which looked annoyed that he was disturbed from collecting his feathers. Then he flew off.Another owl flew in about two hours later, and Harry knew instantly that it was Hedwig. He had returned carrying another box and a newspaper, which Harry had asked for. This time the cake was homemade. Probably by Mrs Weasley, because Harry knew Ron couldn't cook. There was a box inside the big box from Fred and George. It was one of there inventions, which Harry had helped them make, by giving them the prize money from the Triwizard Tournament the previous year. There was a packet of sweets that read 'Weasleys' best blowing-up gum', disguised as Droobles' best blowing gum. Harry was daring himself to eat them, he thought briefly that it was just a joke, but from his experience, Fred and George probably would have them blowing you up, after all, they had made 'Ton-tongue toffee's' which had made his cousin Dudley's tongue swell up the year before, and 'Canary Creams' which caused quite a funny term with Neville, but luckily he found it funny. Harry opened the packet, but it was really hard, he kept pulling it and suddenly, the packet burst. There was a massive bang and a huge cloud of smoke. When the mist cleared, he noticed that nothing had happened, he checked in the mirror and jumped back in shock. His face was bright red and he was swelling up dramatically. There was another bang and Harry found himself on the floor, but luckily was back to his normal shape and colour, he pulled himself up, and sat down on his bed.


	2. Snuffles

Chapter 2- snuffles

**Chapter 2-**** snuffles.**

Harry was lying down on his bed, wishing so badly that he could be at Hogwarts. Although he wouldn't admit it to them, he secretly missed Ron and Hermione, a lot when he was in number four Privet Drive with the Dursleys. It had been a week since his birthday, and it was two weeks until he went back to Hogwarts, and he suddenly realised that he hadn't heard anything about Sirius in all the time he had been on holiday. He found this a bit strange, soon as Sirius was mad about protecting Harry, he missed his Godfather so much, but he had to be more grownup now, he was in his fifth year at Hogwarts now, he must be more mature.

Harry picked up the newspaper and started reading it. Hoping to get his mind of it, although he didn't feel it was the best way because it was after all a paper from the Wizarding World. But he read it anyway.

**'Serious Trouble for Sirius.'**

Sirius Black has been spotted in a field just a few miles away from Gringots Bank.

Farmer Lenny Gorton spotted young Sirius Black, a prisoner who escaped from Azkaban, in a field. He saw Sirius Black last night at 9:15 when he was coming home from visiting his sick mother. Sirius was running away from Lenny's farm in the field and was heading towards Gringots Bank about three miles away. The Goblins at Gringots Bank have been extra careful since this news broke out.

We interviewed Lenny Gorton, and this is what he had to say: 'I was on me broomstick flying home from me mums, and just before I landed I saw him. I tried to go after him but it was dark and I was well tired I was. So I landed me broomstick and went straight in and sent an Owl to the Ministry I did.' 

After the Ministry got the Owl they flew over immediately to search the fields. The Ministry are still looking but they have not found any evidence of anyone being in the field that night.

Kenneth Keneck 

Harry was shocked by this information. How could Sirius have been spotted? He had been on the run for two years and never been seen by anyone. And now all of a sudden a farmer calls the Ministry out saying he's seen him? Harry felt sick thinking about what could have happened to him, he hasn't sent Harry an Owl since he's been on holiday, not even for his birthday, and has let his guard down. Harry thought he should write to him, but then changed his mind encase the Ministry picked it up and caught him. He didn't know what to do; he needed to see Sirius, but couldn't do anything about it. Harry sighed and rubbed his head; he was getting a headache from all of this worrying. 

Harry picked up Ron's cake and started eating it, it was a chocolate and fudge cake, Mrs Weasley was very proud of her chocolate and fudge cakes, she had been making them for twenty three years and no one who had tried them had not liked them. Harry could hardly eat any of it, because he had already ate half of Hermione's cake and this one was so big he thought he might still have at least half of it left when he went back to school. 

This thought made him feel lonely and sad again, because both of his best friends had given him two delicious cakes and had no one to share them with for another two weeks.

A/N

Hi guys thanks for reviewing, I hope you like my story, thanks to Jo for helping me.And his to the people from the message board.

From Angie Potter


	3. The Leaky Cauldron

Chapter 3- the Hogwarts Express

Chapter 3_- the Leaky Cauldron._

It was the day before Harry went back to Hogwarts and he had very easily persuaded his aunt and uncle to drive him to London to meet Hermione and Ron. As soon as Harry was where he wanted to be, the Dursley's practically pushed him out of the car and drove off as quick as they could, they didn't even say goodbye because they didn't want to spend a second longer with him then they had to. Harry dragged his trunk all the way to the Leaky Cauldron to meet Ron and Hermione. He saw Hermione straight away. She was sitting on a table right in the corner with her books pilled high. Then, as Harry moved closer, he noticed Fred and George Weasley grinning like mad at Harry. There were two trunks underneath the table, one was Hermione's and one was Fred and Georges, but the was also a leather bag in the middle of Fred and George and looked at worryingly as he found his way through all the people to the table. 

"Hi guys, where's Ron?" Asked Harry curiously.

"Oh he's upstairs getting all his things ready" grinned George. Harry didn't think he should believe them; he took another glance at the bag and sat down.

"So when do you think he'll be coming down then?" He said in a sly voice.

"Anytime soon" Fred and looked at each other and started giggling like mad. But then they saw Harry's face and sat up straight with a very serious face.

"No really, where is he?" 

"I told you, he's upstairs," they laughed again.

Then Harry felt something moving down by his feet, he looked under the table and saw and eye peeping out of Fred and Georges bag. Then he opened the bag, thinking he would be helping Ron out, when he zoomed down very small into the bag. He looked up and saw a crack in the top where the bag opened and noticed about six eyes looking down to him. The bag was empty, and very dark. It was all made of brown leather. Harry didn't really like leather that much, although he didn't know why, it just made him feel ill. 

He heard Ron come and sit down with them, and stayed very quiet so he could hear what they were saying.

"Hi Ron, how are you today?" said Fred smiling.

"Fine, hey is that Harry's trunk?" wondered Ron "where is he?"

"I don't know he just disappeared I guess." Said George.

"Oh he isn't in the bag is he?"

"Why don't you look and find out?"

"No way, you open it, I'm never going near that thing again after what happened last time." Ron laughed. It was obvious that Ron had been sucked into the bag before.

Harry noticed that Hermione had been very quiet and that was very strange, because usually she was complaining about Fred and George's tricks. 

Harry felt his stomach jolt and then flew up out of the bag. He landed sitting upright on the chair and he laughed about it with the others.

"Me and George are going to get a shop soon. We made a poster about our jokes and hung it up outside."

"Really? That's great!" Congratulated Harry "Has anyone replied yet?"

"Oh no, we only just put it up this morning, so they're going to have to send us an owl when were at Hogwarts."

"Hermione, what's wrong? You've hardly said anything all day."

"Oh it's nothing big, it's just Snuffles. You read the newspaper didn't you?"

"Yeah, listen he'll be alright."

"Have you heard from him yet? Did he send you something for your birthday?"

"Well no, but I'm sure he'll be Okay. Honestly, there's nothing to worry about. Anyway I need to get rid of this trunk and do some shopping, come on." Said Harry.

Harry got his book list and started heading for the shop. He had already got some money from Gringots so he could go straight there. He looked at his list:

_You will need:_

'When Evil Wizards Attack!' by Chee Z. Titul, 'Transfiguration for O.W.L.s' by Emeric Switch, 

_'Be Prepared- A guide for Divination' by Woza Scout,_

_'Intermediate Potions' by Hugh Jarss,_

_'1000 More Herbs and Fungi' by Hans Durtee,_

_'The Standard Book of Spells Grade V' by Miranda Goshawk_

_'Hogwarts a History' by _

_'All About Dragons' by Boyitt Urtsalot,_

_ _

Harry stared at the words 'Hogwarts a History' and pointed it out to Ron.

"I bet Hermione likes that," Ron laughed

"Yeah, she's probably got a thousand copies already."

"Come on, the shops close in half an hour, we better hurry up."

Harry and Ron walked into Flourish and Blotts and started looking around, but they couldn't find anything except 'Hogwarts a History' which they weren't too pleased about because they were half planning not to get anyway and say they couldn't find it.

They asked at the front desk for help and showed the woman their list. She found everyone except 'All About Dragons'. Then she disappeared into the back room and came out five minutes later, struggling with two heavy volumes, which looked like they may have been bound with dragon hide. Harry and Ron looked at each other and smiled. They had Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures, so they weren't really surprised that this book looked so strange.

After they had paid for their books, they struggled to carry them back to the Leaky Cauldron. They took them upstairs, to where they were sleeping that night and dropped them into their trunks, then went back downstairs for a drink.


	4. The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 4- The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 4_- The Hogwarts Express. _

Harry woke up to find Hermione shaking Ron furiously.

"Come on you guys, we'll be late for the train if you don't get up soon." She insisted.

"No we won't it doesn't leave for three hours." Murmured Ron, from underneath the covers.

"I've already got dressed and had breakfast _and _I'm ready to go, but you haven't moved a muscle for eight hours!"

"Okay we'll get up," said Harry

"Speak for yourself," Ron muttered

After Harry had breakfast he went upstairs to find Ron fully dressed but asleep in his bed. Harry decided he better wake him up before Hermione found him.

Mrs Weasley gave them a lift to Kings Cross but had to leave quite quickly because she just got an owl from Percy informing her that Pig had got stuck in Fred and Georges bag and was distracting Percy's work with it's loud squawking.

When they got onto the train Fred and George rushed to show their tricks to Lee Jordan, before trying them out on the Slytherins. 

Then the terrible trio and Ginny sat down in a compartment of their own at the back of the train. Ginny had grown up quite a lot in the summer and was now in her fourth year at Hogwarts. Ron hadn't got up until ten minutes before they left and so didn't get any breakfast, and was quite hungry. Hermione was worrying that she may have lost her quill and only have five left. And Harry fell asleep while thinking about Sirius.

"Harry! Wake-up! You've only got half an hour until we get there! You must get your robes on now!" Hermione panicked. 

"Relax, it's alright. Anyway, I've been thinking about Sirius and I think we should do something about it." Insisted Harry.

"Yeah, your right. But what can we do?" Hermione wondered "Should we go to Dumbledore?"

"I don't know, what do you think Ron?" Harry asked

"Huh, oh, I think we should get some food." He answered

"No, I mean about Sirius."

"I am being serious! I want some food!"

"Then go get some! Honestly!" Yelled Hermione

"Good idea, I'll be back in a minute, bye."

"So what should we do? I mean we can't just leave him! We haven't heard from him for six weeks! And he's been seen!" She shouted

"Keep your voice down Hermione, do you want people to find out?"

"Find out about what?" Ginny said, she had just been getting changed.

"Oh nothing, it's not important."

"Oh," She looked disappointed that she wasn't told "Where's Ron?"

"He's getting something to eat" Hermione answered

"Oh, I've just walked past the food trolley and I didn't see him." She said. Then they heard snoring coming from the door and went to see what it was and found Ron asleep with chocolate smeared all around his mouth.

"Ron! What are you doing!" Hermione shrieked

Ron woke up with a start "Aaahh! Hermione relax! I was just resting my eyes, it's not as if I was asleep. God" He lied

"Anyway, I've got to go and get changed so I'll see you in minute, Okay?" Harry said.

"I'm hungry, I'm going to get something to eat, do you want anything Harry?"

"No thanks, I'm alright" He replied

"Oh, Okay then" She said disappointingly.

Hermione helped Ron to get up off the floor, while Harry and Ginny walked away.

"Hey Ron, you know Ginny likes Harry?"

"Yeah, everyone likes Harry, he's a hero remember?"

"No, I mean she really likes Harry,"

"Hermione please! Ginny's my sister! I don't want to talk about that!" He said in disgust.

"Sorry, but I don't think Harry really notices that much and I think it upsets her."

"So, let her be upset then" He said, half going back to sleep again

"Ron, can't you stay awake for one minute! This is serious!"

"Sorry" He said sarcastically "I stayed up late last night"

"But you knew it was school the next day! Why did you do that!"

"Me and Harry were talking, Okay?"

"Well you shouldn't, it's your own fault"

"Hi, do you want some chocolate frogs? I got myself too many" Ginny said

"Oh yeah! I like having you as a sister, free chocolate frogs!" Ron said waking up a bit more now.

"Do you want some Hermione?"

"No thanks"

"Oh look, were coming into Hogwarts." Said Harry, walking through the door.

"Yeah, do you want some chocolate frogs Harry? I know you said you didn't, but I got too many"

"Okay then, I am a little peckish"

They got out of the train and saw Hagrid calling over the first years for their traditional boat ride across the lake.

"Hi Harry!" He yelled over everyone else. Harry waved back, he didn't think he could shout loud enough to reach him. They started walking inside.

When they got to the great hall for the Sorting, Professor McGonagall grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him out of the crowd. She took him to her office.

"Now, Harry. I'm sure you know of the dangers there are this year, so I don't think you'll be surprised at what I am about to tell you." She said

Harry was surprised she hadn't said hello or welcome back but she was a very serious woman.

"You're going to be kept on special watch, it wont effect you much, but we decided it's best to tell you. To do this we have to cast a spell on you, so if you don't mind, I'd like to do this straight away. Okay?"

"Yes, professor."

"Good, it's best that you don't tell any of your friends about this, because we want to keep this a secret. Right then" She got out her wand from her draw, stood up and walked around to where Harry was "Diledose imedios!" She shouted, and a flash of blue lightning shot out of her wand and hit Harry on his fore head. His scar started stinging like mad. He fell to the floor for a minute, and then lifted himself back to the chair.

"Are you alright Harry?" McGonagall asked

"Yes, I'll be fine" He replied, he had got fairly used to this pain that he so often felt.

McGonagall got him a drink of water "Do you want to go to Madam Pomfreys office?" She leaned over to him and handed him the goblet.

"No, I'll be okay in a second" He took a sip of water and put it down on her desk. 

"You better go and find the other Gryffindors so you know what the password is, the sorting should be over now."


	5. Professor Figg

Chapter 5- Professor Figg

Chapter 5_- Professor Figg._

Harry went to Gryffindor Tower to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny in a crowd of Gryffindors waiting to hear what the new password was.

"Hi Harry, where were you? I saved a seat for you but you didn't come" Said Ron

"Oh, McGonagall took me to her office to warn me about the dangers this year. As if I wasn't at school last year and don't have a clue what's going on in the world." He said sarcastically

"Well I'm glad they're taking this seriously. We're all in danger this year." Hermione said

"Quiet!" Yelled the new prefect Lee Jordan, who looked very proud that he was chosen, although not even nearly as proud as Percy did when he was a Prefect "The new password is 'Hogsmeade' Okay?" He said trying to sound important, but coming off more sarcastic then ever.

Everyone ran in saying 'Hogsmeade' to the Fat Lady.

"So, how did the Sorting go? Any new people to keep my eye on?" Asked Harry when they sat down in the corner of the Common room

"No not really" Yawned Ron

"Ron! I don't believe you're still tired! You've probably had three hours more sleep then Harry has but he's not tired is he?" Hermione nagged.

Harry yawned just to annoy Hermione. But she didn't understand that it was a joke and went to her dorm. "Well I'm going to leave you here and go and sort out my books for tomorrow" She said pompously 

"She's in a mood now, Ginny go sort her out, will you" Ron asked.

"Fine" Ginny stormed off up the Girls' Staircase after her

"Hermione reckons Ginny likes you" Ron blurted out.

"I know she likes me, remember when she sent me that card?" Harry pretended to throw up.

Ron laughed "Oh yeah, well she gave me a lecture saying how you don't notice her."

"Lucky you."

"Yeah, well I'm tired, and I don't want Hermione nagging at me tomorrow, so I better go to bed." He yawned again and walked up the stairs.

"Hi Harry!" Shouted Neville Longbottom all the way from the other side of the room. He ran over. "How are you? I haven't seen you today. You weren't at the Sorting" He panted from running and dodging all the tired Gryffindors.

"I'm fine. Professor McGonagall talked to me about how I have to be extra careful this year and all that." Harry rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, do you know who the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher is?"

"No, I don't have a clue, do you?"

"No, I think we find out tomorrow morning at breakfast" He said "Anyway I'm tired, are you going up to bed?"

"Yeah, might as well, there's nothing else to do is there." 

They both went to bed, Harry rubbed his forehead, remembering what had happened earlier.

*****

"Hello everyone!" Boomed Dumbledore's voice through the hall. "I hope you are all hungry for work as well as for breakfast! The new timetables will be given out in a moment, but first I would like to introduce a new member to our school,Professor Figg." Everyone cheered, and Harry noticed a face across the hall that he had not missed over the holidays, Draco Malfoy**,** they both gave each other piercing stares across the hall and then returned to listening to Dumbledore. "She will be our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher." At this point Professor Snape usually stared over the table at the new teacher, because everyone knew that he wanted that job. But this year he didn't even glance in her direction. 

When the Timetables were given out Harry was not amused to find out that he still had double potions with the Slytherins on Friday. Fridays were meant to be a day where you were looking forward to the weekend. 

They had double Defence Against the Dark Arts first thing, so they were all eager to get there to find out what the new Teacher was like.

"Good morning class, I'm Professor Figg. Your new teacher for the year, I don't want to waste any time this year because of your O.W.L.s so will you please open your books 'When Evil Wizards Attack' at page 1. Dark curses."

Professor Figg spoke quite quickly, with a squeaky voice for a very small person. She had short black hair that was quite curly and wild. She wore small round glasses and looked like a sporty person with her trainers poking out from under her robes.

"Now today we're going to learn about dark curses. Can I have a reader from the group to start us off?" Hermione's hand shot up straight away "Yes miss Granger, you may start"

"Thank you Professor. There are many Dark curses. Some are very dangerous, and some are quite harmless. But they are all very serious curses. The first is the 'Intalaenius' curse, this will make anyone fall unconscious. The length of time the spell will work for depends on how strongly it is made."

"Thank you Hermione that was read very well. Now who else would like to read?" Hermione's hand shot up once again "I'm pleased to see that you are enthusiastic about your work, miss Granger, but I think we should give someone else a chance." No one put their hand up, but Hermione's hand stayed waving in the air "Well alright Miss Granger, You may continue, but next lesson I would like someone else to participate in the class."

"There is only one way to defend yourself against the 'Intalaenius' curse. To do this you must say 'Anti-Intelae' just after the curse has been said. You may also do this when someone else has been cursed, although this won't be as strong a treatment. To wake someone up afterwards, you say the same words 'Anti-Intelae' but you say it three times above the persons body."

"Thank you. I hope you took notes, because your homework will be to write me a fifty word essay for next lesson were you will be trying out this curse for yourself." The bell rang just as she finished her sentence. Everyone picked up their books quickly and practically ran to the next lesson.


	6. The Quidditch Season

Chapter 6_- the Quidditch Season._

Harry Potter had been excited about the new quidditch season all summer. He couldn't wait to find out who would be the new captain for Gryffindor, because their last captain, Oliver Wood, had left school two years ago, and last year quidditch was cancelled because of the Triwizard Tournament. Training was tomorrow and Harry couldn't wait. But he still had to get through double Potions with Snape and the Slytherins. He shuddered at the thought of it. Snape was probably extra grouchy this year, and ready to take as many points from Gryffindor as he could, and Harry was not looking forward to the battle between him and Malfoy. After all, Harry had narrowly escaped death last year and Draco Malfoy was probably very annoyed that he was even still alive.

          "Harry, can I have a word with you please?" Professor McGonagall pulled Harry's arm to get his attention.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Well, as you know, we are short of a quidditch captain. And I was wondering if you would like to take up that responsibility." She hesitated. "I mean, it might take your mind off things." 

"Oh yes Professor. I will. I mean I would like to."

"Great, well, you better get off to class. I'll see you tomorrow on the quidditch pitch, yes?"

"Yes." Harry replied. 

He nearly ran to class, he new how strict Snape was, so it wasn't a good idea to be late for his lesson, unless you were a Slytherin.

"Potter. You're late. I refuse to waste my lesson waiting for you." Snape growled.

"Professor McGonagall had to talk to me about something."

"Quiet! I would have thought the world famous Harry Potter would have learnt some manners by now. That's five points from Gryffindor. Now, can we please start our lesson." Harry sat down as quick as he could "Open your books, Intermediate Potions on page one, follow the instructions to making the potion and do _Not_ distract me. Understood?" 

          The lesson went on in for ages like that, bangs coming from cauldrons, Snape shouting at Neville whenever he had the chance, Slytherins getting as many points as they could and Gryffindors losing as many points as Snape could manage.

          After the lesson had finished, Harry had to go straight up to the common room to do as much homework that he could before he fell asleep in his chair. Although it was the first week, they still had as much homework as they did any other week.

*****

          "Right then Gryffindors. As you know, we are short of one captain and one goalkeeper. Are new captain will be Harry Potter." Everyone cheered for him.

"Nice one Harry!" Fred and George shouted in unison.

"Now, I think you should all train, and Mr Potter." McGonagall said.

"Yes Professor?"

"It is your job to find us a new goal keeper." McGonagall turned on her heel, and walked off down the field, back to the school building.

"So what should we do now Harry?" Fred asked. Harry wasn't used to giving instructions.

"Um, practice. We don't need a goaly for now, do we?"

"No, just pretend that we're really good at quidditch." George said.

"Well we are good." Angelina zoomed past Fred and George on her new broomstick. It was the new Nimbus Sky-Flyer. Harry had briefly spotted it in a shop in Diagon Alley, but him and Ron were in a hurry to get back to the Leaky Cauldron so they couldn't stand gaping at it. 

Katie Bell grabbed the Quaffle before jumping on her broomstick and flying off to join Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson who were zooming around the hoops.

"So Harry, does your Firebolt still work?" George said.

"Don't know, haven't tried it this year."

"Well come on then, what are you waiting for?" Fred cried. Then the Weasley twins grabbed the two Bludgers and shot off into the air. Harry paused for a second. He wasn't too sure what he was meant to do. It was strange, there was no Wood telling Harry what to do. He released the Snitch, jumped on his broomstick and stared flying.

          Harry couldn't see the Snitch, so he decided to look at the other five players zooming around. The three chasers had improved quite a lot since he had last seen them. But that was two years ago, so Harry wasn't too surprised. Fred and George hadn't changed at all. They were still flying around like maniacs after the two balls. Harry looked around for the Snitch but couldn't see it anywhere. He didn't know what to do about the new goalkeeper. He knew that Ron liked quidditch a lot, but didn't know if he just liked watching or if he would want to play as well. He decided that he would ask Ron tonight.

          Harry spotted the Snitch, so he dived to catch it. Everyone looked around at him, then flew down to help him put the balls away. "Good work you guys. I'll see you later." Harry didn't know what else to say. So he turned around, carrying the box of balls, hoping that everyone would follow him.

          When Harry got to the Common Room, it was crowded with people. He saw Hermione and Ron in a corner, so he pushed his way over to meet them. 

"Hi Harry, how did training go?" Ron asked. Hermione didn't even look up because she was concentrating on her homework.

"Alright."

"Who's the new captain, then?" Ron said eagerly.

"Um, me," Harry said shyly. 

"Wow! That's great!" Ron shouted out. "And who's the new goalkeeper?"

"There isn't one yet. I have to chose someone." Harry scrunched up his nose to show that he wasn't looking forward to it.

"That'll be interesting for our first match. Won't it? Oh, I can't wait to tell Malfoy." Ron laughed.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see the look on his face." They both sat down at the table. And got out some parchment and a quill to start their homework.


	7. News from Wood

Chapter 7_- News from Wood_

Fang lay snoring in the corner of the room in Hagrids hut. Harry noticed Ron staring in disgust at the drool dripping down from the boarhound's mouth.

"So how cums Hermione aint 'ere yet?" Hagrid asked.

"_Homework_" Ron and Harry said in unison.

"I see." Then Hagrid suddenly burst out, waking up Fang and startling both of them "So hows that Quidditch cuming on then, Harry?"

"Oh, fine, I guess. I'm captain now."

"Of course you ar'!" He chuckled

"And I have to find a new goalkeeper as well,"

Ron stared down into his mug of Butterbeer as if he wished the subject of Quidditch had never come up.

"Tha's a lot of work cut out for ya then!" He leaned over "Are ya sure ya can manage it?" He sat back in his chair as if not expecting an answer. "Well, it's getting' late, s'ppose ya should be getting' back to the castle."

Ron and Harry both ran out of the hut, so as not to be asked any more questions.

Harry held his breath before saying to Ron "Um, can you play Quidditch?"

"What?" Ron paused in shock

"I mean, will you be the new Gryffindor Goalkeeper?"

"Really! Do you mean it?"

"Err, yeah, would you?"

"Of course I would you idiot! Thanks"

Harry laughed at him.

"Sorry," Ron coughed, looking a little embarrassed at his own excitement.

          Harry noticed Ron and Hermione sitting at the other end of the Gryffindor Table in the Great Hall. Ron was enjoying something that looked a lot like the Muggles 'Ready Brek', while Hermione was nearly finished reading 'Hogwarts a History' for the one hundredth time since Harry had first met her.

"Hi," Harry said, sitting down next to Ron. But he was too busy slurping down as much food as possible to respond.

Harry was about to attempt making conversation when the mail came flying in through the window. Harry received a letter with very scruffy handwriting on the envelope, and Ron got a letter from home sent by Pig, which he then shoved into a pocket of his robes so he could carry on eating. Harry tore his open, it was a letter from Oliver Wood, the former Gryffindor captain. It read;

Harry,

Congratulations!

I knew you would do it some day!

I'm in France working for the E.Q.A. (European Quidditch Association)

I'm hoping to get a place in the England Reserve team, 

Hey, you have to start somewhere!

I hope the team take it easy on you.

Just send me an Owl if they don't.

I'll sort them out for you!

Hope to see you soon,

Good luck for your first match.

Wood.

Harry showed them the letter before going up to get ready for his first lesson, Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. Harry sighed at the thought. Ron ran up behind Harry as they walked up the Staircase. Ron had Porridge smeared across his chin, which Harry soon pointed out to him.

"Hey, Potter," Draco Malfoy called up to him from the bottom of the staircase. Crabbe and Goyle next to him, of course."

"What do you want Malfoy!" Harry shouted down at him.

"I just wanted to know who you had chosen for your Goalkeeper this year." Crabbe and Goyle laughed "Oh, wait, let me guess, it has to be poor pathetic old Weasley, doesn't it!"

Ron turned around "Yeah, so. What are you going to do about it, Malfoy?"

"What am I going to do about it?" He snarled "I'm simply going to sit back and watch you lose at the first match of the season, Slytherin against Gryffindor." he turned on his heel and walked back to the Great Hall, with his sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle following him. Ron ran up the stairs and Harry hurried along to try and cheer him up a bit.

          "Ron, Harry!" Hermione called up the boys' staircase "We're going to be late for Professor McGonagall's lesson!"

"Relax, we've got ten minutes!" Ron called down

Harry grabbed his books and started to go down to the Common Room. Ron reluctantly followed.

"Finally!" Hermione climbed out of the Picture of the Fat Lady, and walked down the stairs.

Harry and Ron ran after her, but by the time they got down the stairs she was at the other end of the corridor.

She turned to face them and said "Aren't you even in the slightest bit worried about your O.W.L.s this year?"

"Hermione, just because there are tests at the end of the year, doesn't mean we have to get to every lesson five minutes early." Ron snapped.

"Boys!" She said and ran off.

"Hey, wait!" Harry said, and they both ran after her.

          "Miss Granger, please come in," she stopped Harry and Ron "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley," I'm surprised to see you two here so early." McGonagall said, gesturing for them to take a seat.

They waited and watched everyone else fill the room, until finally McGonagall said; "Open your books at page 100, and take notes."

Harry could see that 'taking notes' and 'revising' would be all he was going to do this year, well at least in McGonagall's lessons. He sighed, silently so no one could hear, and open his book; the page was called 'Animagus' he suddenly brightened up, and started reading, remembering Sirius, his father and Lupin.


	8. Quidditch

Chapter 8- _Quidditch_

"Are you alright Harry?" Ron asked 

"Yeah, just nervous,"

"Me too, I mean, my first match!" Then Ron suddenly went really pale. "What if I'm terrible? What if I totally mess it up? And we lose! I'll never hear the end of it! Especially not from Malfoy! What will I do?"

"Ron! Calm down! You'll be fine. Trust me!" Harry reassured him.

"Wow! Harry!" George cried

"Our little boy is all grown up!" Fred shouted coming towards them.

"What are you talking about?" Harry wondered

"You're a great captain you know!" Fred and George laughed

"Giving our Ron advice like a grown up!"

"Leave him alone,"

"Ooh, don't be stressed, Ronny," Fred laughed

"It was just a joke!"

Then Madame Hooch called for them to come onto the pitch for the first match of the season.

She blew her whistle and the balls were freed.

Harry shot up into the air to get a better look.

He saw Ron at one end by the hoops looking quite green and sick.

Draco Malfoy flew up on his new broomstick, the Nimbus Sky-Flyer, "Hello Potter!" He shouted

"Yeah? What do you want?" Harry replied

"Nothing, just be polite, got a problem?"

Harry knew Draco was just trying to wind him up and take his mind off the game. So he pretended he'd seen it and swooped down. Malfoy soon followed. Harry was about to crash on the floor when he changed direction and began to fly back up. He was nearly at a safe distance from the game and Malfoy, when a Bludger hit him on the face. Harry span around. His glasses had cracked but he remained on his broomstick. He was facing the lake when he thought he saw a black dog, which looked liked Sirius. He got annoyed. Sirius hadn't been in touch with him, and they hadn't arranged to meet. How could he come to Hogwarts, and not see Harry? Especially when he'd been sighted only three weeks ago.

'No' Harry thought 'I must keep my thoughts on the game.

It was Slytherin 60 and Gryffindor 20. Harry looked over at Ron who looked very scared. He zoomed over to him to throw Malfoy off course and then turned around, as if chasing the Snitch. He then turned around again, back towards Ron, and shouted "Good work Ron! Keep it up!" Hoping to make him more determined. 

It worked a bit, for Ron  zoomed around the goalposts, refusing to let any more in. After five more minutes the score was Slytherin 60 and Gryffindor 60. Everyone except Malfoy looked very tired. The match had been going on for an hour, and it just started raining. Harry knew he had to keep his mind on the match, because if Malfoy caught the Snitch, then they would win. But his mind kept wondering back to the Black dog. He flew up once more to see it again, but it was gone. He looked around, but Sirius was nowhere to be seen. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't.

Suddenly, Draco Malfoy dived down. Harry looked to where he was flying, and there was the Snitch. Harry dived down as well, and followed it. Malfoy and Harry were chasing each other. Everyone else stopped playing. There were shouts from the crowd. But Harry blocked them out. He was getting ahead, and was about to catch it when one of the Slytherin chasers dived down in front of Harry, this put him off, and he went flying through the air. There were shouts from both the Slytherin and the Gryffindor supporters. Harry was sure Malfoy would catch it, when suddenly there was silence. The Slytherin chaser that had distracted and knocked off Harry had caught the Snitch. Harry didn't know what this meant. Did Slytherin win? Did Gryffindor win? Had the chaser been disqualified? This was too much for Harry. With the rain beating down on Harry's face, he began to fall. He was falling, falling, down, down, down. Pictures of the Black dog, Sirius, the newspaper article, where flashing through his head. He carried on falling until he woke up in Madam Pomfrey's office. 

*****

Harry couldn't see anything. He reached over for his glasses. They were still broken from the bludger. 

"What day is it?" He asked Madam Pomfrey, who was standing at the end of his bed.

"It's Monday. You should rest." She said

He lay down. His arm was aching terribly.

Madam Pomfrey was muttering to herself.

"Quidditch! What a stupid sport! It's very dangerous. Thirty four times I've had patients injured because of Quidditch. Thirty-four! Unbelievable!" she said

Just then Ron and Hermione came rushing through the door, to Harry's great relief. Madam Pomfrey looked disturbed at their presence. 

"Harry! Thank goodness your alright!" Hermione yelled

"Ssshhhhh!" Madam Pomfrey cried 

Harry sat up "Who won?" He said

"What?" 

"Quidditch. Who won?" He asked again

"Amazing. You've been unconscious for two days, and now your awake, all you can think about is Quidditch!" Hermione looked appalled 

"Give him a break Hermione," Ron yelled "He wasn't all there at the end." 

"So… Who won?" Harry asked for the first time.

"We did you fool!" Ron said, jumping up and down with excitement. "Malfoy gave that idiot a right old punching. Then they both got stopped. He was yelling all sorts of stuff. Then Madam Hooch. Grabbed his arm and he shouted at her! He got three days detention starting today!" Ron looked really excited at this.

Harry was getting a headache. Madam Pomfrey shooed both of them out of her office and gave Harry a potion for his injuries.

He drank it before lying back down again. And he fell asleep again.****


	9. Halloween

Chapter 9 - _Halloween_

Harry was let out of the Medical ward and made his way up the staircase to Gryffindor Tower. Everyone else was in lessons. Madam Pomfrey wished for Harry to remain in the Medical ward, but he had grown sick of it by now. And although he did not wish to go to lessons today, he wanted to lie down in his own bed.

He reached into his trunk and picked up the photo album that Hagrid had given him in his first year at Hogwarts. He opened it at his favourite page. It had a photo of his parents wedding day in it. There was his Mum and Dad, Lily and James Potter, his Godfather, Sirius Black, his third year Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, Remus Lupin. There were also others, which Harry did not know the names of. Harry sat there gazing from face to face. Then he realised, there was a woman standing behind Remus Lupin, with short black hair, small round glasses, and trainers on underneath her best robes. Which Harry recognised as Professor Figg. He stared at her face. He was unaware that his Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher knew his parents. They were all waving up at him. His Mother and Father standing in the middle. Harry guessed that Arabella Figg must have been around the same age as them, but it never occurred to him that they were friends. Harry decided that he must ask Professor about it. 

"Harry!" Neville Longbottom came rushing through the door. "Are you going to the Halloween feast?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." He replied

"Well you better get ready, it starts in half an hour." Neville ran out the door.

Harry got up and neatened himself up a bit. Then he walked out the door, and down the stairs, where Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny were waiting for him.

"Hi Harry. Are you feeling better?" Ginny asked

"A bit."

"Are you sure you want to go to the Halloween feast?" Hermione said, worrying as usual. "Because you don't have to, if you don't feel up to it."

"I'm fine, besides, it might take my mind off things."

The five of them made their way down to the Great Hall. When they reached the entrance they realised how noisy it was. Everyone was jumping up and down, throwing knives and forks, and tripping over all over the place. Harry realised instantly, that the teachers hadn't come in yet. 

"It's very loud. Are you sure you're OK Harry?" Hermione nagged.

"Give him some room Hermione, he's hardly done anything except lie down for three days." Ron argued.

"I'm fine. Trust me." Harry went and sat down at the Gryffindor Table, with the others following him.

At that moment Professor Dumbledore and the other teachers came in through the door. There was silence as they sat down at the Teachers table. Dumbledore called over a house elf, and whispered something in his ear. Immediately the Hall was tidied. Everyone went and sat down in their places.

"Welcome! Everyone!" Dumbledore shouted "To yet another Halloween Feast!" Harry thought that he looked quite unwell, like he had been under a lot of stress, which was very likely. "I remember clearly back to last years feast. When our visitors from Beaux batons and Durmstrang arrived. But enough chit chat, let us begin our Feast!" At that moment the plates were filled with chicken legs, potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. Harry was starving, because he had hardly eaten anything since Saturday. He finished everything on his plate, and then reached over to get seconds. 

"Harry," Ron leaned over "Have you seen Snuffles recently?"

Harry looked up, dropping the food from off his fork "What?" 

"Ron and me saw him the other night." She paused "Why didn't you tell us that you had spoken to him?"

"But I didn't!" He lowered his voice "I saw him, during the last quidditch match, but I haven't heard from him since I the beginning of the summer holidays."

"Well then, what was he doing here?" Ron asked eagerly, as if still expecting Harry to know.

"I've told you. I don't know, can we go outside? There's way too much noise in here."

Ron and Hermione followed Harry out to the field by the lake. They still looked concerned, and doubtful at Harry.

"Harry, you know that whatever has happened to you, or Sirius, you can tell us." Hermione quickly looked around just to make sure that nobody was listening.

"I've told you! I've been worried about Sirius as well! I haven't heard from him at all!" He lowered his voice "I saw him on the field when I was playing Quidditch, as a dog of course, but he hasn't written to me, or got in touch with me since I last saw him before the summer holidays."

Harry sighed and rubbed his head; he was getting a terrible headache.

"O.K. it's alright Harry, you should get in touch, just to make sure he's fine." Ron turned and started walking back, his stomach rumbling. 

"Ron's right you know, it would stop you from worrying so much." The three of them trudged back down the field to finish their meal.


	10. The Photo

Chapter 10 – The photo.

It was coming to the end of Harry's Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, and he was trying to think about what he was going to say to Professor Figg after the lesson. He reached into his pocked just to check for the fourth time that he still had the photo album there.

"Alright class." Professor said "You pack your things and go, I'm sure you have better things to do during lunchtime, then to spend them sitting in here doing your homework, which, by the way, is to write a two page report on page three, in for next lesson please." She stood up at her desk to watch to the room empty. Harry was still sitting in his seat at the back of the room. 

          "Is there a problem Harry?" She sat down at her desk to mark some work.

"No Professor, it's just I wanted to talk to you about something." He stood up and walked round to her desk.

"Oh really. Do you have a problem with the Homework I set?"

"No, I've got a photo of you with my parents on their wedding day." Harry reached into his pocket and showed it to her.

"Ah yes, that was a wonderful day. Beautiful weather too." She paused. "What exactly did you want to know?"

"About you and them." He said shyly looking down onto the desk.

Professor Figg pulled up a chair for him to sit on. "Your parents were in my year at school, you can sit down you know, I don't want your legs falling off now, do I?"

Harry sat down on the cushioned chair, feeling himself sink down into the red velvet.

"Your mother was my best friend, we did everything together. I was her maid of Honour at their wedding." 

She chuckled as she looked down at the photo, Harry moved closer. He was used to hearing mainly about his father, so this was something different.

"She was a wonderful woman, very spontaneous and athletic. That's how we met actually." Harry could imagine this easily, soon as Professor was always walking around in trainers. "In an athletic event, before we even came to Hogwarts." She scratched her head, as if thinking carefully about what she was going to say next. "But she was far better than me. Always pushing herself until she achieved her goal. While I, on the other hand, spent most of my time having fun with magic rather then sports." This, however, Harry could not imagine. He assumed things would be the other way round. 

"You don't have to look so worried Harry! I'm not going to tell you anything scary, or anything that'll scar you for life!" They both giggled, and Harry relaxed a bit more, although still intent about finding out more. 

"I'm sorry Harry, but I don't think I can tell you anything that you haven't already heard." She paused again, "I'm sorry if you're disappointed, but there isn't much to tell. She was very talented, especially for a Muggle-born, and was very much like your father. Anyway Harry, It's lunchtime and I'm sure you want to get some food inside you before your next lesson, so you best be off." 

          Professor Figg stood up and waited for Harry to depart before sitting back down to mark their homework. Harry casually walked down the corridor to the Great Hall for Lunch, thinking about his parents. He missed them a lot, and would give anything to see them again. Then he looked at his watch and saw that he only had fifteen minutes left before he had to be back at the Common Room. He rushed in to the room that was quite empty which made it seem even bigger, but he caught sight of Ron and Hermione at the far side of the Gryffindor Table, who seemed like they had been waiting for him to arrive.

          "Harry where have you been?" Hermione stood up and rushed over to him. "We've been waiting for ages for you!"

"I had to talk to Professor Figg about something. I'll explain it to you if I could just sit down to eat something first. I'm starving!" Harry and Hermione sat down with Ron, who was happily treating himself to his seventh helping of, what looked like, mash potatoes and sausages, he was obviously taking advantage of not having to go upstairs as soon as he had cleared his plate.

Harry took a clean plate and helped himself to some food of his own. Then he told Ron and Hermione about the photo and what Professor Figg had told him.


	11. Christmas Holidays

Chapter 11- _Christmas Holidays_

Harry had just finished his last lesson before the Christmas Holidays and had agreed to Ron and Hermione not to meet up to walk back to the Common Room together, because Ron and Hermione couldn't stay with him over the Holidays and so had to pack their things. Ron had got a letter from home saying that they were having a big family dinner because his brothers could get enough time off to come home, and it was such a rare occasion that this happened that Fred, George, Ron and Ginny all had to come back. Hermione's Dad had got the flu and was feeling quite rough, so Hermione went back as well to see him. 

Harry's head hurt and he was very tired from all the work. He very slowly dragged himself up the stairs. He dropped his school bag on his bed and looked round to see Ron asleep on his bed with his things all over the floor. Harry could understand this because he felt like collapsing on his own bed as well. But he thought of Hermione's face if she found out Ron hadn't even thought about packing and decided it was best if Harry woke him up. Ron, however, had other plans, because he just ignored Harry's nudging, and refused to get up until Harry had threatened to tell Hermione on him. 

"Harry," Ron yawned as he grabbed a bundle of clothes and through them into his trunk. "Who are you going to hang around with if me and Hermione go home?"

"_If_ you go home? Don't you mean _when_ you go home?"

"Whatever."

"Well, Neville isn't going anywhere, is he?"

"No, suppose not. There's always Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle." Harry and Ron looked at each other and laughed.

"Anyway, I've got enough Homework to last me all year. And I'll probably try and get in touch with Snuffles."

"OK. Well best be off. You wouldn't mind giving me a hand with this trunk would you?" Harry helped Ron and Hermione collect their things and went to see them go. Then he went back up to the Common Room to see where Neville was.

          "Hi Harry! Do you want to play Wizards Chess? I'm not very good but I've been practising." Neville Longbottom was sitting by the fireplace setting out the Chess Board. He had moved a chair to be opposite his on the other side of the table, obviously assuming Harry wouldn't say no. 

"OK. Why not?" Harry sat down in the padded chair and sank into the cushions. "So who's going first?" Harry and Neville played many games of Wizards Chess, Harry winning most of which, before finally deciding that it was getting late and they should go to bed. 

"Harry! Wake up! It's Christmas!" Neville was standing at the end of Harry's four-poster bed with wide eyes and a big grin on his face. "Come on! I haven't opened any of mine yet because I thought it might be nice to do it together."

Harry rubbed his eyes and stumbled out of bed. He walked down the boys' staircase with Neville in front to find about twenty presents for them. It was only Harry and Neville from Gryffindor staying at school over the holidays, and the Common room looked empty but had a certain feel of Christmas in the air. Neville had sat himself down and was looking at the nametags to see which were his and which were Harry's. 

          "This is mine!" Neville said putting the final present onto his pile. 

Harry rapidly made himself wake up and run down to his pile. He smiled at his friend and said; "You go first."

"OK. It's from my grandma!" Neville unwrapped the gold and red coloured wrapping paper to find a book called 'Flying through your O. W. L.'s.' by Nev. R. Dunnit. Neville wasn't too pleased with this, and had wanted something that wasn't to do with studying for once. He put the book down and looked at Harry, gesturing for him to go next.

          Harry and Neville unwrapped all of their presents quite quickly. Harry had got a navy blue sweatshirt with a large 'H' on it from Mrs Weasley, another pack of 'Weasleys' Best Blowing up gum' from Fred and George, a dancing frog on a broomstick from Ron (who was never good at buying presents), 'The Large Book of Quidditch through the ages' from Hermione, and a small card from Sirius which had arrived yesterday from a small brown owl.

          After Harry and Neville had had enough fun unwrapping and playing with their presents, they went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. They found very few people there, but the Teachers seemed to be having enough fun, except Snape of course who was slurping down some soup with a very serious face. 


	12. The Phoenix

Chapter 12 – _The Phoenix._

          Harry lay awake in his four-poster bed; he could hear Neville's snores. Ron and Hermione would be coming back tomorrow and he was really looking forward to seeing them again. He was worried about Sirius, he had hardly heard from him all year. He had received a Christmas card, but all it said was 'To Harry, Have a happy Christmas, Don't worry about me, From Snuffles.' He missed his Godfather and knew he had to do something to see him soon. 

            Harry had been thinking about him for a while and had played with the thought of talking to Dumbledore about it. He knew he wouldn't mind but didn't want to intrude on him as he had been under a lot of stress over the past year. But as he lay awake he knew he would have to do something tonight, before everyone else came back. 

He reached over to his trunk to search for his invisibility cloak. He found it at the bottom and tapped it gently to see the pattern of it moving. He sat up to see Neville still snoring in deep sleep, so he quietly stood up and wrapped the cloak smoothly around him. He checked in the mirror to make sure he was covered, and then made his way down the staircase into the Common room through the picture of the Fat Lady and out to the Corridor. 

It was dark and deserted as he made his way to the Headmasters office, he hoped dearly that he would still be awake so they could talk. Harry was just outside Dumbledore's office when he realised that he didn't know the password. He whispered all the past passwords like 'Sherbet lemons' and 'Canary creams' but found it was no use; he was about to give up when he saw Snape rush out of the office in a hurry, he had a blanc impression on his face that Harry had never seen on him before, but Harry didn't have enough time to think about it. He had flung the door open and Harry hurriedly crept inside before the door closed, trying to avoid the Potions master from finding him. 

When he got inside Dumbledore was not there. But there was a light on, on the other side of a door behind his desk. Harry slid out of the invisibility cloak and looked around. He saw the sorting hat on a shelf and remembered back to his first year at Hogwarts. Then he heard the Phoenix behind him, he spun around to look at the creature and noticed that it was out of his cage. 

"May I help? Sir Dumbledore is coming soon but he obviously does not know that you are coming, so maybe I can be of some service instead." 

Harry looked at the creature and decided that he might as well. Even if he did not see Dumbledore tonight, he wanted advice from someone.

"It's about Sirius Black." Harry paused 

"Go on."

"I'm worried about him. I haven't seen him for a while and I'm afraid that he's unwell or in trouble or something."

"Listen. You're afraid for your Godfather because you have not seen him, but as I understand if he did try to come and see you then there would be a chance that he would be in more trouble then if he didn't come. Am I right?"

Harry stared at the Phoenix realizing that he knew much more about the situation then Harry did. Even though he had probably never even seen Sirius. "Yes, I suppose so. But that doesn't stop me from worrying."

"You are afraid that he is in trouble you say, and I know you have experience of losing loved ones." 

Harry thought of his parents and it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

"But soon you'll realize that instead of halving, things may seem to double over night."

Harry was confused by these words.

"You'll understand soon. Trust me. Don't worry yourself about him, for he has told you not to." The Phoenix jumped back into his open cage and lay down. 

          At that moment Dumbledore walked through the door. And looked at Harry with tired eyes through his half moon glasses. He sat down at his desk and gestured for Harry to sit opposite him.

"Harry. I don't remember arranging a meeting with you. And even in my old age it does not seem like me to arrange a meeting at such an hour with a student."

"Sorry Professor, I had to see you."

"Do not apologize, I'm never one to say no to a drink of Butter beer and a talk before getting my sleep." Dumbledore got himself and Harry a drink before sitting back down. "Now, what exactly has brought you to sneak out and come and see me, eh?" 

"It's Sirius. He's hardly tried to see me at all this year, but I've seen him at Hogwarts. I want to see him properly but I don't want him to be in trouble." Harry rubbed his forehead and tried to hide his yawn.

"Harry, remember last year when I told him to work with Snape to help me?"

"Yes."

"Well that means he is very busy this year, as well as trying to keep his whereabouts a secret. Now I know that you miss him, but he will know when it's time to see you again, and until then you're just going to have to wait." Dumbledore took a swig of his Butter beer "Now, is that all or can you go to bed?"

"OK Professor." Harry stood up and walked to the door.

"I'm glad." He smiled as Harry turned to see him "That the Phoenix could answer your question better than I could."


	13. Hufflepuff v Gryffindor

Chapter 13 – _Hufflepuff v Gryffindor._

          Harry went down to the Entrance Hall to meet Ron and Hermione arriving back from their Christmas holidays. They had just arrived and were rummaging through Ron's things trying to find his wand.

"I'm sure I had it on the train!" Ron was shouting.

"Well then it's probably still there. Lets go look before it leaves, come on, drop your bags here, we'll pick them up later." Hermione was organising Ron's trunk, checking that he hadn't just missed it in a panic.

"Hi guys, have fun?" Harry walked up to them with a grin.

"Yeah, Harry would you mind helping us look through the train for Ron's wand? Only we can't find it so he must of left it there."

"Sure, no problem." Harry joined them in searching for it, glad to finally see them again. The three of them searched the train rapidly, before being asked to leave by the driver who had other places to be. They didn't find it but Ron felt something poking him in his robes, which was of course his wand.

          Harry helped them carry their bags up, and tried to ignore Hermione's nagging to Ron because she had told him to check his pockets five times before he did. "Come _on_ Hermione, give me a break! I've just got away from my mum's nagging, I don't need to hear it from you!" Ron insisted.

*****

          Ron felt his stomach jolt as he flew up in the air as Madam Hooch's whistle went to begin the match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. It was his second match as goalkeeper and was still nervous about doing it properly. Harry was a bit uneasy too and still had thoughts about his talk with Dumbledore a few weeks before, he still hadn't heard from Sirius and was getting more and more anxious by the minute. The weather was rather dull, it had been raining non-stop all week, and had been lightly snowing since last night. Although Harry wished it would be called off, he knew that it would take more than just rain and snow to do so. The whole of the Gryffindor team seemed to be feeling the same, as Harry, but Hufflepuff were totally lively and already steaming ahead, looking as though they were going to score any minute.

          Harry sat hovering on his broomstick above the match, and could easily see that Hufflepuff were the stronger team. He yelled out encouragement to his teammates, but they didn't seem to hear him.

"Come on Ron! You can do it!" He held up his thumbs to his goalkeeper. Hufflepuff had already scored three times, but Gryffindor couldn't seem to get past their goalkeeper, who was acting like he was the best goalkeeper in the world. "Come on Gryffindor! We can win this!" Harry throat felt sore. Hufflepuff scored another goal. And after about ten to fifteen minutes the score was Hufflepuff 50, Gryffindor 0.

          Suddenly Harry heard someone sneeze just behind him. He whizzed around to find the Hufflepuff seeker with a cold, hovering in front of Harry. He flew up to try and loose him, but he flew straight down instead. Diving for the golden Snitch. Harry didn't know what was happening. The Hufflepuff seeker held out his arms to grab it, but lost control and had to hold on to his broomstick as he was flung to the ground, he landed on his head. This made a rather loud crash that caused Harry to turn around, instead of flying higher to get a better view. Just as he turned around he saw the golden Snitch fly into his face he grabbed it, still not knowing what had just happened and heard Gryffindor cheering for him. He had caught the Snitch and won the game.

          After the game Harry and Ron walked up the staircase to the Common Room when Draco Malfoy called up to them "Nice catch Potter!" He snarled sarcastically.

"What do you want Malfoy!" He cried down the stairs. "We won the game didn't we?"

"Oh sorry! I didn't realise that you call Weasley boy letting in every gaol he could, and Potter being hit in the face by something that happened to be the Snitch is winning the game!"

"Well we're better than you'll ever be!" Ron called down to him. 

"Yeah. And were Crabbe and Goyle, then? I thought they were your loyal companions. But it looks like they've done a runner! Couldn't wait to get away from you could they?" Harry yelled. Getting rid of a bit of stress that had been building up.

"Come here and say that Potter! Or are you too scared!"

"Well if you want it face to face then you should come up here!"

At that point Draco Malfoy sprinted up the stairs with a burst of energy. But then they felt a rumble and the stairs began to move. Harry and Ron remembered this happening to them in their first year. The three of them couldn't quite see were each stair was leading to, but Harry and Ron somehow got separated from Malfoy and ran into a corridor. Giving Malfoy a cheeking grin as they disappeared into darkness, leaving him totally gutted and confused about where he was.


	14. Potions

Chapter 14 – Potions  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione took out some parchment and a quill and sat down at the back of the dungeon waiting for Professor Snape to start his lesson. It was a Friday afternoon and they had double potions with Slytherin, their last, and worst, lesson of the week. It was getting warmer outside, and the fields surrounding the castle were filled with fresh flowers.  
  
"Silence. You will be doing a report for me on how to spot the three different types of Potions. You will need to research it, and recap what you have already done. It will be in for next lesson." Snape turned around to get something out of his desk drawer. He took out some textbooks and dropped half the pile on Harry's desk and half the pile on Ron's desk. "Hand them out." He ordered. "You are going to make a Blood call potion. This is used to get a message to a relative. It has to be a Blood relative and the stronger it is made the further it will travel, and the stronger your message will be. Follow the instructions in the book on page 197." Then he went and sat down at his desk. He looked at his class get up to get their ingredients, clearly noting that only Hermione had thought to look at her book before running off.  
  
Neville was sweating with fear that Snape would see his potion and shout at him for getting it wrong again. He rapidly went to get Hermione when he saw the colour of his potion, it was meant to be a blue colour, but had gone a green red sort of colour. As he was just about to ask Hermione for help Snape called out for Neville to come back.  
  
"Longbottom! Come here now!"  
  
Neville hurried back to his cauldron to see how bad it was now. "Yes sir?"  
  
"In the book what colour is the potion?" He snarled.  
  
"Blue." He stuttered  
  
"Good. Now what colour is your potion? If you can call it a potion."  
  
"Purple, sir."  
  
"Why is it purple, Longbottom?"  
  
"I, I don't know sir."  
  
"Because you put in the wrong ingredients! That's Why!"  
  
Hermione saw Neville nearly break into tears. "Sir. It wasn't Neville fault."  
  
"I beg your pardon Miss Granger. Would you like to repeat that?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy switched the two ingredients which changed the colour of Neville's potion."  
  
"Oh really? Well then. It looks like Longbottom, Malfoy and Miss Granger will be staying in for Detention! Now I would like to see you three now while everyone else tidies their things and Departs for the weekend!"  
  
"But sir what have I done?"  
  
"Be Quiet Miss Granger or you'll get a double detention!"  
  
*****  
  
After Harry, Ron and Hermione's Care of Magical Creatures lesson, they followed Hagrid up to his hut to talk to him. They hadn't done this properly in a while, and they were anxious to see him. Hagrid held the door open for them as they walked in and sat down at his table.  
  
"So, wha' brings you lot 'ere then?" Hagrid asked, shutting the door.  
  
"We need to talk to you about something." Hermione said.  
  
"Well I guessed tha'. You like a drink then?" He stood up again, and walked over to his cupboard.  
  
"Yes, a butterbeer please." Hermione answered.  
  
"Will tha' do for everyone then?"  
  
"Yeah, fine."  
  
"Wonderful." Hagrid made the drinks and sat back down.  
  
"Hagrid, what do you know about Voldemort?"  
  
Hagrid nearly chocked on his drink. "Core blimey! I thought this was a social visit! Not a special talk on black magic!" He put his goblet down on the table. "An' besides! It got none to do with you lo'!"  
  
"Sorry, we didn't mean to shock you, Hagrid it's just, well it does have a bit to do with me."  
  
"Yeah, I mean he could be captured any minute!" Ron shouted out with stupidity.  
  
"Thanks." Harry said sarcastically. "We're not meant to be trying to freak me out here, we're meant to be getting information on what's going on."  
  
"Yes Ron, that was really heartless of you." Hermione took a sip out of her goblet.  
  
"Well I'm sorry, really I is. It's just good ole' Dumbledore sworn me ta secrecy an' all tha'. So there's no' a lo' I can help ya with really." Hagrid rubbed his head. Trying desperately not to let anything slip.  
  
"Please Hagrid. It's not everyday we need help from you."  
  
At that point Hagrid burst into tears.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" Hermione stood up and walked round to the half-giant with his face in a handkerchief crying his eyes out. "Hagrid? Are you alright?"  
  
He dried his face and looked at their concerned faces.  
  
"It's jus' you're all growin' up so fas'. I mean you're all on your fif' year!" He blew his nose very hard. "It seems jus' yesturday I picked ya up from those Dursley's, Harry. An' now Me an' Maxime have ta go off an' get help to protect ya from evil!" Hagrid suddenly stopped crying and looked very shocked at what he had just let out.  
  
"Oops."  
  
"What did you say?" Ron stared at him.  
  
"Nufin'! Honest!" He bit his lip and started swinging on his chair. "I didn't say nufin'."  
  
"Hagrid, who did you get help from?" Hermione looked into his eyes looking puzzled.  
  
"No, you'll have ta go now. It's getting' dark." He stood up and walked towards the door.  
  
"But it's only four o' clock. And it's not going to get dark for another two hours yet."  
  
"I aint givin' you lo' any more information! Sorry, bu' you best go now. Before I get into any more trouble, right?"  
  
Fang, Hagrid's bore-hound, lifted his head and put it down again. A large amount of drawl fell from his jaw and dropped into a puddle underneath his mouth. Ron looked even more disgusted then he had done in their last visit as he stood up and followed Harry and Hermione outside.  
  
"It's been lovely ta see ya all. But don't go tellin' anyone 'bout this. Especially tha' blonde headed Malfoy boy, or any of his weasel friends. Oh! Sir Dumbledore! Don't tell him either! Or tha's it for me!" Hagrid was sweating terribly, and looked terrified. "You 'ere me?"  
  
"Hagrid. It's O.K. We're not going to tell anyone. Don't worry." 


	15. Gryffindor v Ravenclaw

1 Chapter 15 – Gryffindor v Ravenclaw  
  
"Harry. Can I talk to you?" Ron asked, catching up with Harry as they walked out onto the field and up towards the Quidditch pitch.  
  
"Yeah sure, what's up?"  
  
"It's about Hagrid."  
  
Harry stopped. "What about him?"  
  
"You know…" Ron paused "What he said about him and Madam Maxime."  
  
"Oh, what about them?" Harry said, gaining speed in his walk.  
  
"Don't pretend you don't know." Ron rubbed his head "Who could they go off and find that would really help you that much? Why couldn't Dumbledore get someone else to do it?"  
  
"Ron. Can we stop talking about it know? We can talk later, but right now all I care about is the match. If we win now then we'll have won the Quidditch cup. No doubt. How can you be worrying about Hagrid at a time like this!"  
  
"Sorry." Ron said as they walked onto the pitch.  
  
School pupils who were waving their scarves and cheering surrounded them. Harry looked up to the Teachers stand to see Professor Snape glaring at him with hatred. If Gryffindor won this match they would win the cup, and Slytherin would go second. But if they lost then Gryffindor would go second and Slytherin would win. Harry shuddered at the thought.  
  
Madam Hooch held the whistle near her mouth and shouted; "Mount your brooms!" The crowd went silent and then she blew her whistle. There were screams and cheers as the fourteen players flew up into the sky and the balls were released. Harry zoomed up as high as he could go so that he could see clearly what was going on. Ron looked extremely nervous. He was obviously still thinking about Hagrid, trying to work out the truth behind what he had said.  
  
Harry shouted over to him; "Ron! Keep your mind on the match! Forget about it until later!" Harry turned away to watch Fred and George knock past the Ravenclaw beaters to the two bludgers that were bashing themselves at anyone who got in their way. He suddenly heard the cheers of Ravenclaws and the sneers of the Slytherins, because Ron had just let in the first goal of the match, 10 – 0.  
  
"Ron!" Harry shouted. "Don't worry! Just keep your mind on the match and you'll be alright!" Ron gave him a weak, doubtful smile to show that he had heard him. Harry turned back to Fred and George, who were throwing the balls very brutally at the Ravenclaws. Madam Hooch blew her whistle, "Fred and George Weasley! Stop it this instant! Penalty to Ravenclaw!" She shouted. Gryffindors were booing the other team as everyone prepared for the penalty. Every penalty that Harry had ever seen in Quidditch had resulted by a goal. He shouted encouragement and advice over to Ron again, but it didn't help, 20 – 0, Gryffindor were loosing terribly.  
  
After the match had started again, Fred and George zoomed past Harry with the beaters in their hands. "Sorry Harry!" Fred cried, "Yeah, Didn't mean any harm!" George yelled before flying back down to pick up the beater he had just 'accidentally' dropped on the head of the Ravenclaw seeker. Luckily, Madam Hooch wasn't looking.  
  
Harry took this opportunity to fly over to Ron. "Hey. I told you to stop thinking about it." Harry said, peering round to check that the Snitch wasn't anywhere to be seen. "We'll loose if you don't stop. We can't play without you." Harry noticed a Quaffle heading this way, and a load of players zooming after it. He flew up into the air and shouted back "You can do it!" to Ron. He saved the Quaffle and threw it back to Angelina, who took the opportunity of everyone else being gob-smacked at Ron, to shoot into the hoop. Finally, Gryffindor had scored. The score was Ravenclaw 50, Gryffindor 10.  
  
Just as Ron seemed to be getting back on track, a bludger flew past his ear, causing him to do a summersault in the air. Then it came back and hit him in the face. His eyesight went blurry, but as it was coming back to normal, Ravenclaw scored again. Harry went over to check that Ron was OK, but then had to go again when he saw their seeker dive down, heading for the Golden Snitch. Harry chased after him but failed to catch up. Then the Ravenclaw seeker flew straight into the pole of one of the goals. He hadn't seen it because he was concentrating on catching the flying ball. Harry picked up speed and flew right past him and caught the Snitch. The match was over.  
  
Gryffindors were screaming with joy. They had won the Quidditch cup! The final score was Ravenclaw 60, Gryffindor 160. Harry flew up to Ron and helped him fly back down. Ron joined the Ravenclaw seeker in walking up to Madam Pomfrey's Office to sort out their wounds.  
  
Harry met Hermione in the Entrance Hall and they walked together up to the Office to find Ron. On their way, Draco Malfoy knocked past them, but surprisingly shot no insulting comment at them, just walked off up the stairs to Slytherin Tower. Harry was too tired to shout something up at him, and thought that he would save it until later. 


	16. Revision

1 Chapter 16 – Revision  
  
"Ron?" Harry and Hermione were sanding at the end of Ron's bed in Madam Pomfrey's Office. He had collapsed after the match, when he was just about to explain to the School Nurse what had happened.  
  
"Ron? Are you alright?" Hermione asked as Ron was just waking up. "When we came here to see if you were alright Madam Pomfrey told us that you had collapsed. I hope you're head doesn't hurt too much."  
  
"Yeah, I'm O.K."  
  
Madam Pomfrey hurried in when she heard that Ron was awake. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Alright."  
  
"You need rest." She turned to Harry and Hermione "I'm sorry but visiting time is over. You better leave. I'm sure you have enough revision to do anyway. Now, hurry off."  
  
"Yes Madam. See you Ron, I hope you get better soon." Harry said. It felt weird to him seeing Ron in a bed in the hospital wing. Usually it was himself that was lying there, watching people come in to see him.  
  
"Goodbye Ron, I do hope your well soon and have enough time to study for your Owl's." She turned to Harry and gestured to him to leave the hospital wing.  
  
Just as they were leaving, Ron sat up, remembering that he had his exams coming up in less than a month. "I forgot!"  
  
Madam Pomfrey turned sharply on her heel. "Quiet!" She breathed in and out deeply. "Forgot about what, exactly?"  
  
"I've got my exams coming up! I totally forgot!"  
  
"Be Quiet!" She said, adjusting the covers on his bed and pushing him slightly so that he would lie down. "Now I'm sure you'll have enough time to revise, if you get some rest then you'll be out of here extremely fast." She stood up and looked over to Harry and Hermione who were now standing by the door watching them. "Can I help you?"  
  
"No Madam, sorry." Hermione said.  
  
"Then I suggest you leave."  
  
They walked out of the door and up to the Gryffindor common  
  
Room.  
  
*****  
  
As their exams drew near, it seemed that every spare second was spent revising. They had been given their changed timetable the previous week, and had been disappointed at first when realising they had a Potions test with Professor Snape first thing on the Monday morning. But then Hermione pointed out that afterwards they could get it out of their way and not have to think about it for the rest of the week.  
  
Ron read the timetable again to Harry and Hermione as they were studying in the common room:  
  
|Monday |Tuesday |Wednesday |Thursday |Friday | |Potions |Herbology |Care of |Charms |Defence | | | |magical | |against the| | | |creatures | |dark arts | |Study |Transfiguration |Divination |History |FREE | |Time | | |of Magic | |  
  
Just then Ginny Weasley walked over carrying her schoolbooks, Ron muttered "Oh great." under his breath and tucked his timetable in one of his inside pockets of his robes.  
  
"Hi guys. Just came over to wish you good luck for your Owl's. How's your head Ron?" She asked politely.  
  
"Fine." He said, opening up a random page in his textbook and pretending to read through it.  
  
"Good. Well I better be off then." She gave a quick smile at Harry and turned to go back to her chair by the fireplace.  
  
"Bye." Harry said. Ron closed his book and pulled out three chocolate frogs from his pocket and offered them to Harry and Hermione.  
  
"I think I've done enough revising now." Hermione said, closing her book and leaning back in her chair. "How are you two doing with yours?" She rubbed her forehead; she looked tired, Harry thought.  
  
"Fine." Ron shoved another sweet into his mouth. "Just got Transfiguration and Herbology left after I finish potions."  
  
"What? I didn't realise you were so behind!" She sat up straight and opened his book to help him.  
  
"Leave him Hermione. He's not behind. And besides, what business is it of yours if he fails?" Harry said, giving Ron a quick glance as if to say 'you can thank me later.'  
  
Hermione stood with her books in her arms. "Well I hope you both fail. It'll teach you not to study." With that she turned on her heel and headed for the Girls' staircase. 


	17. Ordinary Wizarding Levels

Chapter 17–Ordinary Wizarding Levels  
  
"After I have finished handing out these test papers you may begin." Professor Snape picked up a pile of test papers and sent them round the dungeon.  
  
Harry sat there waiting for his test sheet. When he got it he felt like giving out a huge sigh, but felt he ought to keep it in so as not to get into trouble. It was huge! 'There must be about twenty pages in it!' Harry thought to himself. He had an hour and a half to complete it, so he wrote his name at the top of the booklet and began.  
  
Harry was struggling his way through it, he had answered every question that he had came across but was very doubtful that they were correct. He saw that he had half an hour left and so turned another page and began to read the next question to himself quietly.  
  
He thought about the answer but it didn't come to him. His scar was beginning to sting slightly; he thought it was because he was thinking so hard. Then he looked up towards Professor Snape. He was staring at Harry with a glare that no one could mistake for hatred. Harry was shocked. Why was he looking at him that way? Harry knew he hated him, of course he did, but Snape had never looked at him that way before.  
  
Draco Malfoy, who was sitting right at the front with Crabbe and Goyle either side of him, also looked up at Snape, and then looked back at Harry with a confused expression on his face. Then he leaned over his test again and started scribbling answers down really quickly. Harry tried to do the same, but the answer wasn't coming to him. He moved on to the next question. He thought about it and knew that he should know the answer. He had gone over it a million times when he was revising. Why couldn't he remember it? He moved on to the next question, hoping he would remember it later, but he didn't know this one either. What was going on? He looked up at Snape again. He was still staring as hard as ever. Fifteen minutes to go, and Harry still had five pages left.  
  
Hermione lifted up her hand to say that she was finished, so Professor Snape ended his piercing glaze and walked over to her and snatched her paper off of her. Harry suddenly thought of all the answers that he had forgotten. He scribbled them down quickly before he forgot them. He looked up at Snape again, but he wasn't staring back. Harry instantly knew that he must have been putting a spell on Harry that would make him forget the answers or something. Snape was grading Hermione's test. Ten minutes left. Harry hurried through the next couple of pages, 'only two more left', he thought, 'and five minutes to go'. Snape looked up at him again. Harry suddenly totally forgot what he was about to write. His scar was stinging terribly now. He held his left hand up to it while his right hand gripped the quill. Two minutes left. 'Come on.' He thought 'Think!' He wrote down any old answer that he had no idea whether it was right or wrong. Only one question left to answer.  
  
"Stop what you are doing." Snape stood up. "Time's up." He had stopped looking at Harry when he said this. So Harry rapidly wrote down the answer that had just came to him.  
  
"Mr Potter." Snape snarled, "Put down your quill. Time's up."  
  
Harry scribbled down the rest of his sentence and put down his quill.  
  
*****  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione walked along the edge of the Lake as Harry told them what had just happened. His scar was still hurting, but not as much now.  
  
"He wouldn't do that." Hermione said when he had finished.  
  
"Oh yes he would." Ron argued back  
  
"He's a professional teacher, and Dumbledore trusts him." Hermione turned to Harry. "Why would he want you to fail?"  
  
"Because he hates me." Harry answered, "He always has done."  
  
"That doesn't give him the right to do that." Hermione sounded extremely angry, Harry thought.  
  
"Doesn't mean he wouldn't." Ron said, "He's a Death-eater remember?"  
  
"I thought he was working for Dumbledore against 'you know who'?" Hermione said.  
  
"He is meant to be. But I reckon he's really giving 'you know who' the information." Ron picked out a chocolate frog from the inside pocket of his robes.  
  
"Ron. How many of them do you keep in there?" Hermione wondered astonishingly.  
  
"Loads. Do you want one?"  
  
"No thank you." She said with a sarcastic tone.  
  
Just then Harry stopped and held his scar.  
  
"Are you alright Harry?" Ron asked  
  
"Yeah, fine." He said. Then he toppled over and fainted, nearly rolling into the lake.  
  
Ron and Hermione ran over to help him. Hermione splashed his face with water, but it didn't help, so Ron ran inside the castle to get Madam Pomfrey.  
  
After Harry was inside on a bed, she gave them all a lecture about how those three have spent more time inside the Hospital wing in the five years that they've been there than anyone else has for the whole time that she's worked at Hogwarts. 


	18. Finishing The Owls

Chapter 18 – Finishing the OWL's  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way back into the castle for lunch. They had just finished their second exam, Herbology. For this they had been given a sheet with ten different sorts of magical plants on it, and then with each one they had to make a potion or mixture of some sort, using the plants they had found. They were given only an hour to do this, and were not aloud to talk or work with anyone else, so Professor Sprout had cast a spell on all of them making sure they couldn't come closer than ten yards of anyone.  
  
After lunch they made their way up to McGonagall's classroom for their next exam, Transfiguration. There were two parts to this test. The first part was a written paper; they had to answer as many questions, out of fifteen, as they could in half an hour. The second part was a practical exam; they had to transfigure themselves into as many things on the sheet as they could, and after each thing they would write down how to do so. Harry found the exam rather easy, because, apart from the teacher, Transfiguration was an O.K. subject.  
  
*****  
  
Hagrid stood up, off of his giant chair, and looked at his class of fifth year students, who were preparing themselves for their fourth O.W.L. exam. They all went quiet when he stood up to listen to the instructions of their test.  
  
"For ya exam, I've prepared a special trip ta the Forbidden Forest." Everyone held their breath. "Ya don't gotta worry, 'cause I sorted ou' some people ta come an' look after ya wen your inside. You'll be put into groups of three, an every group'll have one grownup each."  
  
Hagrid disappeared over the hill and returned a few minutes later with a dozen wizards behind him. Ron looked up and noticed his brother, Charlie Weasley, who was meant to be abroad doing research on dragon's, in the crowd behind Hagrid.  
  
"Hi!" He shouted out. But stopped when Hermione gave him a sharp look, beckoning him to be quiet.  
  
"Now then," Hagrid said when he arrived back, "Here are those people I was tellin' ya 'bout. I'll put ya into groups then, shall I?" He began picking out groups and sending them off to stand by a wizard. When he reached Harry, Ron and Hermione, he smiled, "Go on then ya lot." He said. "Off ta Charlie." They all walked off smiling too, to Ron's second oldest brother.  
  
After Hagrid had finished off grouping the students, he stood up and picked up some sheets of paper.  
  
"Arigh' then ya lot." He said. "Ya gotta go into the forest an' find as many of the creatures as possible. You'll take a photo of your creature an' put it on the paper next ta it's name." He handed out the paper to all the groups and then said; "These gentlemen 'll be takin care of ya in case ya go wonderin' off. I want ya all back 'ere in exactly one hour. Ya 'ear me? One hour. No excuses, or I'll have ta send out search parties for ya."  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Charlie walked off in the direction of the Forbidden forest.  
  
"Were exactly are we going?" Ron wondered.  
  
"Who knows?" Harry said.  
  
"Don't worry. Just stick to the path and we'll find something soon." Charlie took the sheet off of Harry and beckoned them all to be quiet.  
  
"What is it?" Hermione whispered.  
  
"Number three." Charlie snatched the magical camera off of Ron and took a photo. The creature ran away instantly because of the flash. "There, one down, nine to go." He handed the sheet to Hermione.  
  
"Oh, a baby Blue Indian Dragon." Hermione said looking at the sheet.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"What is it doing in this forest?"  
  
"Hagrid got permission to set it free during the test as long as he returns it." Charlie explained. "Lets move on."  
  
The four of them walked along the path, all looking in different directions for the nine creatures they had yet to find. Then Malfoy jumped out from behind a bush and took a photo of them. They jumped out of their skins and were blinded by the flash.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for Malfoy?" Harry shouted.  
  
"Oh, sorry," He laughed sarcastically. "I thought you were one of the beasts that we had to find." Crabbe and Goyle walked out laughing.  
  
Charlie picked out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy. "Be quiet!" He shouted. "Now!" The three of them suddenly went quiet and looked down the wand in total shock.  
  
"Leave them alone, Weasley!" A tall, thin man walked down the path, pointing his wand at Charlie. He had slick, black hair, and thin eyes and wore long black robes. There was silence as he walked closer. "Put down your wand!" He shouted.  
  
"Shut up, Fowler!" Charlie shouted back.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't have a clue as to who this 'Fowler' guy was. But Charlie seemed to know exactly who he was. And Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle weren't surprised to see him either.  
  
"Make me!" Now he was standing right in front of Charlie, pointing his wand at his mouth.  
  
Charlie moved his wand, pretending to put it away, but then flicked it back up at Fowler, saying the words 'Illuminate!' Fowler's clothes turned a bright yellow colour, scaring all the creatures in this wood away from him. "Come on Ron, Harry, Hermione. Lets get out of here." Charlie turned around and gestured for them to follow.  
  
After the gang had found the rest of the creatures in the forest and stuck the photo down against it's name, they returned back to Hagrid with huge smiles on their faces. Harry glanced over to Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Fowler.  
  
"Hey, Charlie. How come his clothes are back to normal?" He wondered.  
  
"Because I made the spell so that the second he stepped out of the wood the light would disappear." Charlie grinned over to the four boys sitting on the grass looking extremely angry.  
  
"What if they had gone out of the woods and then went back in again? Then he could have easily finished the sheet way before us." Hermione asked, still with a guilty, edgy look on her face.  
  
"Well, I made sure that every time he entered the forest they would light up again. It's all to do with the way you pronounce the word." 


	19. Snape v Snape

Chapter 19 – Snape v Snape.  
  
Severus Snape was still shivering slightly as he made his way through the doors of the castle, and across the field to the Forbidden Forest. He had just finished marking the test papers for the fifth year's OWL exams that they had written just under a week ago when his evil, unforgivable master, Lord Voldemort, had summoned Snape to meet him at a small clearing in the dead centre of the forest.  
  
Snape felt nauseous and extremely nervous about what Voldemort was going to order him to do. He had memorised the directions that he had just been given, and slowly curled himself around some overgrown trees.  
  
"You are on time. I am pleased." Voldemort gently turned himself around to reveal his ugly, old and frightening face. "The task that I am about to set you will be quite short. But it is vital that no one knows about it, and that you do not make on single mistake. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir." Snape gulped and clenched his fists, trying extremely hard not to show one ounce of fear.  
  
"Your task is to bring that Harry Potter to me. I want him here tomorrow night. No excuses."  
  
"Sir! I can't!" Snape called out.  
  
"Silence! Do you want to be caught?" Voldemort took a deep breath. "You will do as I please. Tomorrow night. Here. Do you understand?"  
  
"I can't do it sir."  
  
"Why on earth not?" Voldemort questioned sharply.  
  
"It's too risky. I would never be able to pull it off. How would I keep the boy quiet?" Snape asked, desperately trying to make up an excuse to escape this request.  
  
"The boy will be asleep. You will hide yourself and the boy under this invisibility cloak that I have heard he owns."  
  
"Sir. I can't."  
  
"You will do it! I want him here tomorrow night without any excuses!" Voldemort shouted.  
  
"No!" Snape yelled back at him, determinedly.  
  
At that, Voldemort grabbed his wand and cast the imperious curse at Severus Snape.  
  
Snape fell to the muddy, forest floor and lay there, unconscious. Voldemort snarled and showed a terrifying grin. That, if Severus were conscious at the time, would never be able to forget.  
  
*****  
  
Harry put down his photo album of his parents, that he had just been looking at, and shut his trunk. It had become a weekly routine that every Saturday night, he would look through his photo album before going to sleep. He missed his parents terribly, especially over the past few months. Mostly due to the fear of Voldemort capturing him again. This year, he feared, Voldemort would find him, sooner or later; the evil wizard that had killed his parents about sixteen years ago would take him in. He told himself that if his parents were still alive, somehow, it would all disappear, and they would save him from everything bad that happened around him. As he thought these emotional thoughts over and over in his head, he gently fell asleep. Dreaming of life with them alive, and how brilliant it would be. How he could visit them every holiday, instead of staying at school.  
  
Then, Severus Snape, under the imperious curse, stepped silently into the dormitory, where the four boys lay asleep. He stood beside the bed in which Harry lay. Picking out his wand from an inside pocket of his robes, he whispered a few enchanting words that caused Harry to rise into the air.  
  
Snape carefully directed Harry through the door and down the staircase to the common room. He silently made his way to the Entrance Hall, and opened the door, making sure that it didn't creak. Snape, still being controlled by Voldemort through the unforgivable curse, followed Harry floating unconscious in front of his face. They reached the entrance to the Forbidden Forest, and, struggling through the trees, made their way to the small opening where Voldemort was hiding.  
  
"Sit." He snarled. Harry was still lying asleep in the air as Snape, unconsciously, sat on a damp log opposite his master. "Well then, Harry Potter. We meet again." 


	20. More Dreams

Chapter 20 – More Dreams.  
  
'Things may seem to double over night.' The words of the phoenix always creped their way into Harry's dreams, mainly because he still hadn't worked them out yet. 'You'll understand soon. Trust me.' What did he mean by soon? How soon? He still didn't understand, even though it had been quite a while since the phoenix, from Dumbledore's office, had spoken these words to Harry. How can a person double? But Sirius wasn't just a person! He was an Animagi! Maybe that had something to do with it, but how? How could that possibly have anything to do with it?  
  
Sirius' face loomed into Harry's vision. Then it slowly changed into a dog, a black dog that was, undoubtedly, Sirius' dog form. It began to bark at him, with his large, sharp, yellow teeth growling at Harry through a lot of drool. Then the noise gradually disappeared into the background, with the picture of the terrifying black dog, Snuffles. The headline 'Serious Trouble for Sirius!' from the daily prophet newspaper, flashed into Harry's dream. Sirius had nearly been caught. He could easily be caught again. What if someone waved their wand at him? What if they split him into two, a wizard and a dog? Harry pictured the farmer from the newspaper, waving his wand around, with flashes of red and green light shooting out of the end. Then one of them striking Sirius. Splitting him into two parts, wizard and dog. "NO!" Harry dreamt him standing by the field, watching his godfather suffering extreme pain. "NO!" He heard himself echoing into the background.  
  
"NO!" Harry sat up, with sweat pouring down his face. "It was just a dream. Just a dream." He told himself. Wait a minute… Where was he? He was not at Hogwarts, where he fell asleep. He looked around the room. Grey. There were grey walls, a grey floor and a grey ceiling. Harry tried to stand up but found he couldn't. He looked around. There was no door, or any windows. How did he get in if there were no doors or windows? Where was he?  
  
Then he realised. If there were no windows or doors he must have been put in here by a wizard, unless he was still dreaming. He pinched himself to find out, but he felt the small pain in his arm and so he must be awake, and conscious. Who would take him there? Why? Why would anyone want him there? But someone did want him! Someone wanted to kill him, and had done for many years! Voldemort!  
  
Harry knew Voldemort was after him. This year he knew it more than ever. But Harry was still confused. 'How? Voldemort couldn't get into Hogwarts. There were too many wizards surrounding the place.' He thought. 'How?' Harry shivered. Although he had fallen asleep in his robes, he knew that it probably didn't matter what he was wearing, he would still be shivering, if not with coldness, then with fear.  
  
'Snape!' Harry thought. 'Snape was a Death eater! He'd have done it! He'd have to do it! He wouldn't have a choice!' Harry's scar was burning, so he rubbed it gently. 'But surely he wouldn't be able to. How would he get into the Gryffindor tower? He'd have to know the password.' He lay down on the hard concrete floor. All the thinking and trying to find an explanation was wearing him out, and the fear of probably soon meeting Voldemort was making his lightning scar on his forehead sting like mad.  
  
'How could Voldemort get the password? How could Snape get the password? Maybe he didn't. Maybe he ripped the painting of the fat lady, or slashed out at her.' Harry pictured the torn drawing lying face down on the stairs. 'But surely someone would hear him. Someone would hear Snape striking at the painting and come to see what was going on. What was going on?' Harry thought. He couldn't find any explanation of how he got where he was, or where he was for that matter. And so just lay there silently, waiting, in fear, for something to happen. 


	21. The Death Eaters

Chapter 21 - The Death Eaters Harry lay on the concrete floor of the grey, empty room, wondering where he was, and why. Then suddenly, the room went black. Harry sat up. What was going on? Then heard a distant, evil snarl that was looming gradually closer and closer. At first it sounded like just one man, but then, as it became louder, Harry recognised it as many men. It was still pitch black, but Harry still looked around himself, into, what seemed like nothing at all. The cackling was getting louder and louder, until Harry knew that there were at least thirty men around him laughing. Then. Silence. Harry looked into the darkness. Harry sensed their presence around him, but he could not see them, not even a very faint outline of them standing there, and he couldn't even hear them breathing. Sweat was pouring down Harry's face now, as he gazed longingly for light amongst the fearful darkness. All of a sudden, there was light in the room. Harry nearly fell back with shock when he saw Lord Voldemort standing directly in front of him, and hundreds of Death Eaters all in black cloaks, standing behind Voldemort. "Well, Harry Potter. We meet again." The ear-bursting laughing began once again from the death eaters behind. Harry's scar was burning away at him, and he was trembling all over. "I hope you are ready for this Potter." He snarled. The old, but yet terrifying, wizard stood watching Harry as if expecting him to do or say something back. "F. f. for what?" Harry shuddered, still clutching his fiery scar. "Well, boy." Voldemort took back his hood. "You're about to be destroyed. Once and for all." Harry pulled his hands away from his forehead to push himself up with them. He was now standing a metre away from the man who had killed his parents fifteen years ago. He took out his wand and clenched it in his fists whilst he gained the courage that he needed to duel with Voldemort. The Death Eaters stood back and gave them room. Voldemort took a few steps back so he could get a full length view of his opponent first. To Harry it felt like everyone in the world was ready for this, except him. Harry looked around him at the eager Death Eaters that surrounded him. Lucius Malfoy made a grin at Harry that he noticed his son, Draco, had inherited. 'No.' Harry thought. 'Don't get carried away.' He took a deep breath. 'Think! How are you going to get through this?" "Lets begin." Voldemort ordered. Harry lifted up his wand and pointed it at Voldemort. But before he had time to think of a spell Voldemort lifted his own wand and yelled out a spell that shot at Harry, pushing him to the ground. Harry didn't hear the words that were shouted because his mind was concentrating on finding a spell of his own. The Death Eaters were laughing and cheering Voldemort on. The grey ceiling blurred in Harry's vision, and the laughing and cheering drifted further and further away. 'NO!' Harry thought, 'If I give in now he'll only kill me, I have to fight back as long as I can!' Harry lay still on the floor, trying to look unconscious whilst he made a plan of action. Harry sat up and shot his wand out. Screaming any words that sounded like a spell. "Interlanus!" Nothing happened. The Death Eaters were laughing incredibly at Harry's feeble attempts. "No! Interlaenus!" Nothing happened. "No wait! Inter. inter..." Harry was so confused! He learnt a spell to make someone unconscious at the beginning of the year. What was it? "I think, Mr Potter that the word you are looking for is-" -Just as he was saying the proper words "Intalaenius!" Lupin, a previous Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, jumped in and shouted some words against the spell "Anti-Intalae!" whilst also pointing his wand at Harry. 


	22. Sirius and Procyon

Chapter 22 - Sirius. Harry fell to the ground after just being struck with two spells at once, the Intalaenius curse, and it's cure with the words Anti-Intalae. Voldemort turned around at once and glared with fury at Lupin. "That was a big mistake." Snarled Voldemort, gripping his wand. "You'll regret that." Lupin didn't deny that for a second, and gripped his own wand too. Harry slowly sat up and watched the two wizards glare at each other. Harry stood up and shouted "Lupin! What are you doing here!" "Saving you of course." "But you can't! Not on your own! It's too dangerous!" "I'm not on my own!" "What?" Then two dogs jumped in and began to attack Voldemort. "See, they're with me." He said, running over to Harry. "Are you alright?" "Um, yeah, but who are they?" "Don't you recognise him? It's Sirius of course!" "I know that's Sirius! But the other one!" The two dogs seemed to have knocked Voldemort unconscious in the time that Harry and Lupin were talking and came running over. But they hadn't been very successful; Voldemort slowly grabbed his wand, and in an instant was perfectly healthy. Suddenly the two dogs transformed into their human forms. Both of them looking extremely like Harry's Godfather. But Harry had no time to stand confused, or ask questions. He lifted his wand to Voldemort and yelled "Intalaenius!" A bright light flashed out of his wand and hit Voldemort, who fell to the ground and lay there dead still. The Death Eaters that had been watching began to walk towards the four men. Everyone in the room was clutching their wands, and was advancing on Harry, Lupin, Sirius and the other Sirius. The four of them lifted their wands and shouted all sorts of spells at the twenty angry wizards. Voldemort still lay there, without moving an inch whilst everyone else fought. Harry noticed Snape, standing at the back of the angry crowd looking sheepish. He clearly didn't want to be there, because he was meant to be on the Death Eaters side, but couldn't hurt Harry because he worked at Hogwarts. Harry noticed him there and knew he had to do something. If Snape didn't fight, then the others would criticize him and tell Voldemort when he woke up, who would torture him. If Snape did fight then he would lose his job. Harry pretended that he had been hit by a curse, and dropped himself onto the floor. No one else noticed because a lot of people were dropping down. Harry made sure that no one was looking at him and quickly but quietly crept away to see Snape. "What are you doing? Do you want to get men killed?" Snape said in a half whisper. "We have to get out of here!" Harry said to him, tip-toeing to the exit. "I'm not going anywhere!" Snape called, trying to sound important to the student. Then Harry realised what he had to do. He grabbed his wand and put Snape under the imperius curse. Snape had only just recovered from being under the imperius curse by Voldemort; after he had been knocked unconscious the spell had been broken. Harry signalled to Lupin that they should try and escape. He told Snape to unlock the door, and went to help Lupin and the Sirius' escape. "How are we going to make it out of here?" One of the Sirius' asked. "I know! I could dig a tunnel out of here and we could crawl through!" Suggested the other one. "I've got Snape, he's unlocking the door at the moment." Harry explained. A flash of light zoomed past them and hit the wall behind them. Lupin pointed his wand at the Death Eater who did that, and mumbled some words to him quietly. Then the Death Eater turned into a small black rabbit. Sirius laughed at the rabbit, and nearly got hit by a flash of red light. Lupin did the same to that Death Eater too. And within minutes all four of them had turned around twenty Death Eaters into rabbits. Sirius couldn't quite do the spell properly and all of his rabbits turned either pink or green. On the other side of the room, Snape had unlocked the door. They went to join him and escape, but when they got there, Harry noticed that there was only one Sirius. They turned around and saw a bunch of pink, green and black rabbits climbing over a very still Sirius. They ran back over to the other side of the room to help him. "Sirius! Are you alright?" Harry shouted, shooing off all the oddly coloured rabbits. "That's not Sirius!" Shouted Sirius. "That's Procyon!" Sirius helped up his double. Harry was extremely confused. "Who's Procyon?" "That is!" Shouted Lupin. "But, but, I don't understand!" Lupin and Sirius were looking very concerned. They knew exactly who he was. "He's my brother!" Informed Sirius, and he picked him up and put one arm around his shoulder. Lupin took the other arm, and helped Procyon walked across the room and back to the door, where Snape was still standing, and waiting for Harry to tell him what to do. 


	23. Procyon Black

Chapter 23 - Procyon Black. The five of them walked out the door and found them in the Forbidden Forest, they turned around but the room had gone. "Where are we?" Asked Harry. His scar was calming down now. Lupin and Sirius helped Procyon lay down on a log, which Voldemort had previously been sitting on when he put Snape under the imperious curse. "I don't know." Answered Lupin. Sirius had a tear in his eye, but he wiped it away, hoping no one had seen it. "Are you okay?" "I, I, I'm not sure." Procyon replied. Harry stood and watched Procyon lying there. The man who he had only just met, yet felt he had known for a lifetime. He looked so remarkably like Sirius. Harry couldn't find one difference between them. Even their voices were identical. "I need, w, water." He stumbled. "Please." Harry conjured up a glass of water and handed it to Procyon. Procyon held the glass in his hand, shaking terribly. He tried to hold it up to his mouth but dropped it on the floor. Sirius quickly picked it up and magically re-filled it. He was about to hand it to his brother, but noticed he was not moving. He checked his pulse, and his heartbeat. But he was dead. ***** Sirius sat there gazing at his dead, twin brother. Harry sat on a log opposite, trying to work out more about Procyon without help. Lupin leaned against a nearby tree, thinking about his diseased friend. Snape was pacing up and down between two trees, trying not to make eye contact with anyone, in case they noticed a slight tear in his eye. Lupin walked over to Harry and sat on the log next to him. "You need to talk to Sirius." "I can't." Harry replied. "What would I say?" "He's your Godfather, and he needs you to tell him that it's going to be alright." Lupin explained. "But I never knew Procyon. I only just found out he existed." Harry sighed. "Just go over and say something. Anything. It'll make him feel better. Trust me." Lupin stood up and leaned against the tree again. Gesturing for Harry to go over there. Harry walked over to his Godfather, and placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Sirius. Are you alright?" Harry asked stupidly. "Yeah. Um, I'll be fine." He sniffed. "How come you never talked about Procyon. You know, about when you were little?" "Didn't have any time. If I did, then I'd have to talk about him for ages, and I never had that long with you." Sirius wiped another few tears back from his face. Harry bit his lip, it was so hard to watch his godfather cry like that. "I know," he whispered, hugging Sirius tightly. 'We've hardly had time to get to know each other. I wish I could comfort you better.' He thought desperately. He could feel the way Sirius was shaking as he cried and he held him tighter. Over Sirius' shoulder Harry could see Remus wrapping Procyon's cloak around the body and gently closing the dead man's eyes. Harry looked away feeling his own eyes begin to tear. He noticed suddenly that Sirius was now still and broke the embrace. Sirius was blinking furiously and wiping at his face but he seemed to have stemmed the tears. It hurt Harry to see the sadness in his godfather's eyes but he didn't miss the small grateful smile that was sent his way. "So am I going to get to see you at all during the summer?" Harry wondered, standing up straight. "I don't know." Sirius replied. "I'm still undercover." "So you don't think we could meet up anywhere safely?" Lupin walked over and interrupted. "We could all meet up. I mean if that's O.K." "Of course Lupin. Your always welcome." Harry said with a sarcastic smile. "Excuse me Potter." Snape snarled. "But I have a class to teach in one hour, and I think it best that we start making our way back to the castle." 


	24. Back to Hogwarts

**Chapter 24 – _Back to Hogwarts._**

**__**

            "Harry, are you O.K? We heard what happened." Ron and Hermione were standing over Harry's bed in the Hospital Wing. He hadn't been hurt, but Madam Pomfrey decided that after his ordeal he'd best stay in bed were she could watch over him until the final assembly.

"Yeah fine." Harry replied, slowly waking up. "I wasn't hurt. I'm fine." Harry sat up and reached over for his glasses.

"We just received our results for our O.W.L's. But we decided to open them with you." Hermione explained, handing him an envelope with the words 'Mr Harry Potter.' written on them.  

         Harry pulled a sheet of parchment from the envelope, and gestured for Ron and Hermione to do the same. The letter read:

_Mr Harry Potter,_

_I am pleased to inform you of your Ordinary Wizarding Level's results, which are listed below._

"A+ for Care of Magical Creatures." Harry explained. "Me too!" Replied Ron, rather excited of his first result. "And me!" Hermione pointed out. "Hagrid!" They all said in unison, laughing at his biased marks. "Charms… B-" Harry said, moving down the list. 

"Same."

"A+" Hermione happily replied.

"Alright! A+ for Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Said Harry.

"Me too!" Hermione cheerfully continued. "And Ron?"

"B+" Ron sat on the bed next to Harry's, grumpily.

"That's what I got for Divination!" Harry said, cheering him on.

"Well I got A+" Hermione showed off.

"I got B+ like Harry." Replied Ron "What about Herbology?"

"A-" Harry replied.

"Same." Stated Ron

"A+" Answered Hermione 

"I got the same for History of Magic." Ron said, trying to find a result were Hermione didn't get A+

"Yeah, so did I." Harry and Hermione said simultaneously." 

"Oh no, Potions… D+!" Shouted Harry in shock.

"Me too!" They looked at each other with anger towards Snape.

"C+! That's not fair! I can't get C+! I studied for hours!" Hermione threw her results on the floor and sat on the bed next to Ron. "I hate Snape!"

"It's taken you five years to work that out?" Ron laughed, "What did you get for Transfiguration? I got B+"

"A+" Replied Hermione, cheering up a little.

"Better than me." Harry answered. " B+. Same as Ron."

"I would have got straight A's if it wasn't for Snape! Just because he's jealous!" Hermione ripped the wrapping off of a chocolate frog and threw it in her mouth.

"Hello Harry. Are you feeling better?" Dumbledore poked his head around the door. "Ron and Hermione, would you mind going back to your Common room for a few moments?"

"Of course not Professor." Replied Hermione, grabbing Ron's elbow and dragging him out of the Hospital Wing.

"What is it Professor?" Harry placed his results on the table.

"I've got someone here to see you. I believe you refer to him as 'snuffles' nowadays." Dumbledore's eye's sparkled as Sirius walked in the room.

"Hi Harry."

"Well I best be off." Dumbledore disappeared into the Corridor.

"Sirius. Are you O.K?" 

"Yeah… well, will be anyway."

"I'm sorry about Procyon."

"No need. Weren't your fault." 

"Sirius. Can I ask you something? How come Procyon was an Animaji?" Harry picked off a grape from the table and ate it. "You know, a dog like you."

"Well," Sirius took a grape as well. "When I was caught, to go  to Azkaban, they thought Procyon was me, so he turned himself into a dog, so he could get away freely." Sirius explained.

"But why a dog? Why a dog that looks exactly like you?" Harry wondered, still quite confused.

"So we could confuse them. You see, Procy helped me escape from that place." Sirius had a tear in his eye. "He confused them, so they wouldn't know which dog to chase, whilst I was trying to escape from Azkaban."

"Oh. Sirius, there's something else. Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Hogwarts? I saw you, at least twice. I don't understand why you didn't tell me first so we could talk?"

"I never came to Hogwarts without telling you!" Sirius laughed. 

"But I saw you during a Quidditch match!" Harry explained.

"Harry. You know I'm undercover these days. _And_ you know I have a twin."

"You mean it was Procyon I saw that night?" 

"Yes. He needed to see Snape to get a potion off of him."

"A potion?" Harry was still confused.

"A Blood-call potion. That's how we found each other again."

"Oh I understand now. Sirius, do you mind one more question?"

"O.K. one more, but I have to go soon, back into hiding."

"Was it you who was caught on the farm last summer?"

"No. Procyon again. He was making his way to Snape's house, to ask him to make the potion." Sirius took a handful of grapes and stood up. "Is that all? Because I have to go."

"Yes. Just keep in touch." Harry replied, as he watched his Godfather walk out of the room.


	25. The Dursleys

**Chapter 25 – _The Dursley's._**

**__**

            "Well then!" Dumbledore's voice boomed across the Great Hall. "Another year gone! And another very eventful year at that! The years go by very quickly for me in my old age! When I was writing this speech I nearly starting writing one for Christmas because my mind is still back there! Anyway I realise that I'm babbling so I'll get to the point. Enjoy your holidays and come back ready to work!" Dumbledore took a sip from his Goblet and put it back on the table. 

"Now then, as you can tell from the wonderful decorations… Slytherin seem to have won the house cup once again!" Malfoy gave a quick, but evil, glare over towards Harry, while the rest of the Slytherin Table were cheering. "But, however, I believe Mr Harry Potter deserves a few extra points, due to the recent events which he has experienced. So I award one hundred points to Gryffindor. 

And so the 'countdown' if you will, for the house cup… In forth place is Ravenclaw with two hundred and fifty points… And in third place is Hufflepuff with two hundred and ninety five points… And in joint first place are Gryffindor and Slytherin both with four hundred points each."

The Slytherin Table went silent, whilst the Gryffindor Table were jumping up and down and cheering. Harry and Ron gave Malfoy a glare of victory. But he just looked down at his empty plate in shame. Dumbledore pulled out his wands and made the decorations with the Slytherin _and_ Gryffindor colours. He then tapped his goblet with his spoon in order for silence.

"Now then, settle down and we shall begin our feast!" He waved his wand and the Hall was filled with food. Roast chicken, potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and gravy. 

*****

"Mr Potter." Dumbledore called to Harry from across the corridor. "A word if you please."

Harry walked over to the entrance of his Head-teacher's Office. "What is it Professor?" 

"Please, come inside." He gestured for Harry to pass him into the Office. "Sit down. Would you like a drink?"

"No thank-you. I had enough at the feast." Harry explained, sitting down in the chair opposite Dumbledore's.

"First I would like to congratulate you based on the recent events of your 'meeting' with Voldemort. I hear that you fought well, and had good tactics at hand."

"Thank-you Professor." Harry replied graciously.

"Anyway that brings me onto my second point. You may have won the battle then, but the battle against Voldemort may never end. And you should remember this now more than ever. Which is why I think it best that you stay in the Muggle world over the summer. And try and keep the mail to a bare minimum." Dumbledore tapped his wand on a Goblet that was on his desk, and it filled up with Butter beer. "You understand why, I'm sure."

"Yes professor." Harry sighed, not looking forward to a summer with the Dursley's, especially if he wasn't allowed any post to cheer him up. 

"Anyway, you best be getting back, after all, you have a train to catch." Dumbledore stood up and smiled as Harry walked out of his office gloomily.

*****

"Aren't you changed yet?" Hermione walked through the train doors into the small compartment where Harry and Ron sat, still in their robes.

"We've still got another hour till we arrive." Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, give us a chance." Harry picked out some money from his pocket as he noticed a lady with the food trolley on the other side of the door.

"Anything from the trolley?" She asked, smiling.

"Can I have a chocolate frog please?" Harry asked, politely.

Ron nudged him slightly and looked eagerly at the chocolate frogs, clearly noticing that there were two left.

"Make that two chocolate frogs." He said, giving her the money, and the other chocolate frog to Ron, who unwrapped it very quickly and swallowed it in one bite.

         As the train approached Kings Cross Station, Ron sprinted into the bathroom and hurriedly got changed into a red top and blue jeans, and came out just in time to see Harry and Hermione get off the train. He grabbed his trunk and jumped off to join them. 

         Mrs Weasley was standing with Ginny and a large trolley with only one trunk placed at the bottom of it. She saw Ron, Hermione and Harry, and gestured for them to come over. "Have you seen Fred and George?" she asked worriedly. 

"No, haven't seen them on the train journey at all." Ron explained, dumping his trunk on the trolley.

"Oh, why can't you boys stay together?" She said, before seeing them come over with their trunks hovering behind them.

"Hey mum!" They said together. Moving their wands so their trunks would fall onto the trolley.

Mrs Weasley sighed and then looked at Harry. "Will you be joining us over the summer, Harry?"

"No, I have to stay with the Dursleys." He sighed.

"Well then best get you, home." She said, pulling over another trolley for Harry and Hermione, and watching the young students run through the brick wall to the muggle world.

         Once Harry was on the other side, he noticed Mr and Mrs Dursley waiting for him, looking very angry that they had to be in King's Cross Station on such a nice day. Harry sighed once more as he waved good-bye to his friends and walked over to where the Dursley's were standing.

**THE END**

****

****

**Hi readers!**

**This is jona, (angie potter's beloved big sister!!! hehehe, she doesn't know I'm posting this), I think she forgot about it coz she's been working on a new story, it's a great story, it certainly has me both captivated and gasping for breath after too much laughter.  Anywhooze, she has decided not to post it until she's finished it, I certainly think that she's learnt A LOT from writing this fic, and her new fic will reflect that.  I'd urge you all to bookmark her author page ready for the posting of her new fic coz you're gonna want to read it I guarantee it! – Okay I'd better shut up now, when nge reads this she'll have my guts for garters!  Hehehe, but I don't care, it serves her right for leaving you all waiting for the last 2 chapters for so long!**

**Regards,**

**jona**


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